[Image via Shutterstock]
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Gunmen kill 16 at Deeper Life Church during service
General Oveseer of Deeper life Church Pastor Kumuyi
Pastor among the dead in Kogi night attack -Four killed in Borno -Explosives fired at Sokoto police station
IT was like a scene from a war film. A crowd of worshippers in a church — perhaps praying, their eyes shut — and suddenly the eerie sounds of guns. Pandemonium. Blood, tears and anguish.
But it was no movie. All was real last night in Okene, Kogi State where unknown gunmen stormed a church and opened fire on worshippers, killing no fewer than 16.
Killed were worshippers of Deeper Life Bible Church opposite the Federal College of Education (FCE). Many were injured.
“We are shocked. It is serious,” a Pastor told The Nation last night.
The gunmen, who were said to be bearing sophisticated weapons, stormed the church during the Bible Study, a Monday programme, at about 7p.m., shooting indiscriminately.
The gunmen reportedly took the worshippers by surprise. They blocked all entrances into the church, preventing people from escaping as they fired indiscriminately at the worshippers.
A source said 15 worshippers died on the spot; one died in the hospital.
“As I am talking to you now, we have just counted 16 bodies. No fewer than nine others have been rushed to the Okene General Hospital Okene,” the source said.
Among the dead was the local government area Pastor, according to a source who spoke in Lagos where news of the incident sent members into a shock.
One of the injured is the Dean of Student Affairs of the FCE.
The attack came two weeks after an account officer with FCE, Okene was abducted from his home and murdered. An attack on the Living Faith Church on Lagos Road in Okene was last month repelled by security operatives who stopped an explosive-laden vehicle parked by road side.
Kogi Police spokesman Simon Ile, who confirmed the incident, said he was yet to get details of the incident.
He declined to speak on the number of casualties. He said the command was awaiting reports from the divisional police officer in charge of the area.
Ile said the police would go after the perpetrators of the dastardly act and bring them to justice.
The Commander of Army Headquarters Task Force, Lt Colonel Gabriel Olorunyomi, also confirmed the incident. He said: “Unknown gunmen invaded the Deeper Life Church this night (Monday) during a worship service and opened fire at the worshippers.”
He said 15 people died instantly while the 16th person died in the hospital.
The Military Joint Task Force cordoned off the area.
It could not be immediately ascertained how many worshipers were in the church at the time of the attack.
Gunmen believed to be members of Boko Haram struck again in Sokoto State yesterday.
They bombed a police station in Shagari Village about 70 kilometres to Sokoto, the state capital.
Shagari is the home town of Second Republic President Shehu Shagari. The police station that was attacked is a few metres away from his home.
A police source said the attackers came on a motorbike and tossed dynamites at the police outpost while firing at the policemen on duty.
Sokoto, the seat of the Caliphate, was attacked last week.
Boko Haram, the violent Islamist sect, yesterday claimed responsibility for Sunday’s killing of six soldiers and two civilians in Damturu, the Yobe State capital.
The group said it was responsible for other weekend attacks in the Northeast.
Also on Sunday night, four people were killed in their homes by suspected Boko Haram members in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, as the Joint Task Force (JTF) alerted the public to an impending series of suicide bombings in the city.
In an email statement attributed to a Boko Haram (Wester Education is a sin) spokesman and obtained by The Associated Press yesterday, the group said “One of (their) fighters” caused an explosion Sunday in Damaturu.
Police say six soldiers and two civilians were killed in the blast.
The statement also claimed responsibility for two other attacks in two other northeast cities. It was not immediately clear which attacks it was referring to.
The statement comes after an Internet video featuring the sect’s leader was posted on YouTube on Saturday.
Boko Haram is held responsible for more than 660 deaths this year alone according to an AP count.
Apart from Sunday’s attack in Damaturu, the Emir of Fika was attacked on Friday in a suicide bid but he escaped. His orderly died
A former Commissioner for the Environment in Borno State Alhaji Abdulkadir Kaasa, was shot dead in his home in Maiduguri on Sunday.
Two of the victims of Sunday night killings in Maiduguri were residents of Lawan Bukar, where Alhaji Fannami Gubio, the original candidate of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) in the governorship election in 2011 was killed.
Another victim was killed in the Railway Quarters, where the headquarters of the sect was located before the 2009 clampdown. It was there that its leader Mohammed Yusuf was killed by security operatives alongside dozens of his followers.
One other person was killed at Gamboru Ward. The killing caused apprehension among residents of the town.
Though there was no official confirmation at press time, a military source who spoke anonymously told reporters that the military had intensified efforts at getting the culprits.
The JTF yesterday alerted the public to the plan of the sect to undertake massive snatching of vehicles in Maiduguri and environs which they will later use for suicide missions.
The vehicles, according to the task force, would be laden with explosives and used to bomb strategic locations and cause breach of the peace in the town. The statement signed by the task force field operations officer, Col. Victor Ebhaleme reads: “The JTF wishes to alert members of the public of the desperate moves by Boko Haram terrorists to steal/ snatch vehicles for suicide bombings.”
He urged those whose vehicles have been stolen to immediately report the theft to the nearest police station or to the JTF. He warned that anyone who failed to report and his vehicle is used as a courier of bombs would be treated as an accomplice of the sect.
Man arrested for forcibly converting, raping girl
Police have arrested a man allegedly involved in forcibly converting and raping a Hindu girl. – File photo/Dawn
HYDERABAD, Aug 6: The Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit bench on Monday remanded a man in police custody after a Hindu girl rejected his claim that she had converted to Islam and married him. She, instead, accused the man of abducting her and subjecting her to rape for months.
Justice Munib Akhtar passed the order after hearing a criminal miscellaneous application filed by Sarwar Solangi.
Solangi’s counsel, Ghulam Hyder Shah, said that according to Solangi, who was a Hindu of Bagri community prior to his conversion, the 19-year old Hindu girl of Tandojam had accepted Islam on May 20 before Mufti Shafat Rasool Naeemi in Darul Uloom Mujaddidiya, Sahibdad Goth in Malir, Karachi and a certificate to this effect was issued by the institution.
He said the girl signed a sworn affidavit before Justice of Peace on May 25 and her Nikkah was solemnised with him in Ghazi Dawood Brohi union council in Malir Town, Karachi.
Her conversion annoyed her parents, said the applicant, and on June 21 her relatives Jairam, Rajoo, Nadhiya and Chainiya forcibly snatched her away from him when they were going to visit shrine of Baba Pardesi in Hyderabad.
She was kept at an unknown place for 15 days and then shifted to her parents’ home near Chambar road in Tando Allahyar.
The applicant had requested the court to direct police and the girl’s relatives to produce her in court on Aug 6.
On Monday, the girl appeared in the court and rejected the Solangi’s claims. She said she had left her house on May 18 to wash clothes when Sarwar and two unidentified men kidnapped her and took her to Karachi. She was kept locked up in a room where Sarwar repeatedly subjected her to rape, she said.
She said that she was forced to put her thumb impression on blank papers. On July 30, when Sarwar and his friends left the place and went out to buy wine she managed to escape from the place and reached her home.
She said that she wanted to go live with her parents. The judge asked the girl’s father whether he wanted to pursue the matter further and the father replied he only wanted justice in accordance with law.
Pakatan states to use 3 different themes for N-Day
However, the four states will still use a common theme of “Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa (One Nation, One Country, One Soul)” which the pact had previously agreed upon, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali (picture) said.
Kedah will use “Terus Berbakti (Continue to Serve)” as its state theme while Kelantan will be adopting “Menerajui Perubahan (Spearheading Change)”.
Only Penang and Selangor will maintain “Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa”.
“This is because the state exco of Kedah and Kelantan decided on their respective themes before we decided on (Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa), and the exco decision is binding,” Mustafa told reporters at a joint news conference with his PR allies at the PKR headquarters here.
Also present were PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke.
He said the pact will also launch an alternative to the federal government’s theme song and logo for the National Day celebrations on Thursday, after the PR supreme council meeting.
He added that the song is penned by a renowned composer but that he chose to keep his identity under wraps until the launch.
Nurul Izzah said PR’s theme song will be non-partisan, unlike the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s choice.
“Our song gives room for all parties to express their feelings about freedom and not feel ‘hijacked’ or neglected,” she said.
The federal opposition bloc had rejected the 2012 National Day theme song and logo when both were unveiled last month, claiming the lyrics and design smacked of partisan politics in the run-up to the 13th general elections, which could see a regime change for the first time since independence in 1957.
At a separate press conference earlier today, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, said BN, as the ruling coalition, holds the right to decide the National Day theme because its three founding members — Umno, MCA and MIC — were responsible for helping the country gain its independence from British colonial rule.
“Without a doubt, it is parties like Umno, MCA and MIC that fought for independence. Let those who fight for independence determine the theme. When did the opposition fight for independence?” he told reporters in Parliament.
Nazri said he felt the “Janji Ditepati” theme was apt as it represents the fact the federal government has kept its promises to the people.
The “Janji Ditepati” theme has been publicly panned on various social networking sites, including by graphics designers and songwriters, who say its seemingly political content is unsuitable for the celebration that stretches from August 31 to September 16, which is Malaysia Day.
The government eschewed the traditional logo designing competition this year, leaving the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture to come up with the logo which comprises words in different fonts, the Jalur Gemilang, the 1 Malaysia logo and the theme “Janji Ditepati”, all depicted in the four colours of the national flag.
MIC confident of bigger win
Although MIC is confident of avoiding another dismal electoral performance, nonetheless the party leadership is aware that it will be a rough ride.
GEORGE TOWN: Pakatan Rakyat Indian grassroots and its noisy cyber commentators may claim that the next general election will hammer the final nail in MIC’s coffin and send it into political extinction.
However, despite facing an imminent toughest electoral challenge in its history, G Palanivel-led MIC is quietly confident that it could turn the table against and win many seats.
Boosted by growing support among the Malay and Indian electorates, sources said the party’s strategists were increasingly poised of winning six parliamentary and between 11 and 17 state seats in the next polls.
Like in the 12th general election, MIC would contest in nine federal and 19 state constituencies in the 13th election.
Its federal seats are Sungai Siput, Tapah, Cameron Highlands, Hulu Selangor, Subang, Kapar, Kota Raja, Teluk Kemang and Segamat.
In the 2008 general election, MIC won only Cameron Highlands, Tapah and Segamat before regaining Hulu Selangor via a by-election later.
This time it is confident of winning all except Subang, Kapar and Kota Raja.
Its state seats are Lunas and Bukit Selambau (Kedah), Prai and Bagan Dalam (Penang), Pasir Panjang, Behrang, Sungkai and Hutan Melintang (Perak), Batu Caves, Ijok and Sri Andalas (Selangor), Jeram Padang and Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan), Kahang, Permas, Tenggaroh and Gambir (Johor), Malacca’s Asahan and Pahang’s Sabai.
Among these seats, MIC believes it had a fighting chance to clinch Lunas, Bukit Selambau, Bagan Dalam, Prai, Pasir Panjang, Behrang, Sungkai, Hutan Melintang, Batu Caves, Ijok, Jeram Padang, Kahang, Tenggaroh, Gambir, Asahan and Sabai.
The party, however, concededed that Sri Andalas and Port Dickson were difficult seats, while it also feared losing Permas due to the inept performance of incumbent MM Samy.
In the last election, MIC won only the four Johor seats, Asahan, Jeram Padang and Sabai.
Right formula is crucial
Although MIC was confident of avoiding another dismal electoral performance, nonetheless the party leadership was aware that it would be a rough ride towards the finishing line.
Party insiders concurred that MIC must first apply the right formula to win these seats, combining winnable candidates with effective campaign strategies.
They said the right formula would be crucial in seats that MIC lost narrowly in 2008.
The party had submitted a list of 56 names of potential winnable candidates, two for each constituency, to Barisan Nasional national chairman Najib Tun Razak.
The MIC leadership was also contemplating shifting chosen candidates to different constituencies to increase their chances of winning, such as in Prai, Lunas, Bukit Selambau and Batu Caves.
Party insiders said a capable winnable candidate could draw some 1,000 to 2,000 votes on his own.
“In the current political scenario, it’s a huge amount of votes. As BN faces a tough adversary, each vote counts,” said a MIC top leader.
Among main factors boosting MIC’s confidence was the alleged surging shift of support among ethnic Indians and Malays from Pakatan Rakyat towards BN.
Sources claimed that MIC and BN’s own ground studies and intelligence reports revealed that some 60% to 65% of Malays and Indians would back BN in the coming polls.
Chinese support for BN stood between 25% and 30%, said the source.
Sources said MIC would tap on Najib’s rapidly increasing popularity among the Indian community.
“Many working class Indians are impressed with Najib’s direct touch to address and resolve their issues spot on. This can tilt the balance in MIC’s favour in a close fight,” said a party insider.
GEORGE TOWN: Pakatan Rakyat Indian grassroots and its noisy cyber commentators may claim that the next general election will hammer the final nail in MIC’s coffin and send it into political extinction.However, despite facing an imminent toughest electoral challenge in its history, G Palanivel-led MIC is quietly confident that it could turn the table against and win many seats.
Boosted by growing support among the Malay and Indian electorates, sources said the party’s strategists were increasingly poised of winning six parliamentary and between 11 and 17 state seats in the next polls.
Like in the 12th general election, MIC would contest in nine federal and 19 state constituencies in the 13th election.
Its federal seats are Sungai Siput, Tapah, Cameron Highlands, Hulu Selangor, Subang, Kapar, Kota Raja, Teluk Kemang and Segamat.
In the 2008 general election, MIC won only Cameron Highlands, Tapah and Segamat before regaining Hulu Selangor via a by-election later.
This time it is confident of winning all except Subang, Kapar and Kota Raja.
Its state seats are Lunas and Bukit Selambau (Kedah), Prai and Bagan Dalam (Penang), Pasir Panjang, Behrang, Sungkai and Hutan Melintang (Perak), Batu Caves, Ijok and Sri Andalas (Selangor), Jeram Padang and Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan), Kahang, Permas, Tenggaroh and Gambir (Johor), Malacca’s Asahan and Pahang’s Sabai.
Among these seats, MIC believes it had a fighting chance to clinch Lunas, Bukit Selambau, Bagan Dalam, Prai, Pasir Panjang, Behrang, Sungkai, Hutan Melintang, Batu Caves, Ijok, Jeram Padang, Kahang, Tenggaroh, Gambir, Asahan and Sabai.
The party, however, concededed that Sri Andalas and Port Dickson were difficult seats, while it also feared losing Permas due to the inept performance of incumbent MM Samy.
In the last election, MIC won only the four Johor seats, Asahan, Jeram Padang and Sabai.
Right formula is crucial
Although MIC was confident of avoiding another dismal electoral performance, nonetheless the party leadership was aware that it would be a rough ride towards the finishing line.
Party insiders concurred that MIC must first apply the right formula to win these seats, combining winnable candidates with effective campaign strategies.
They said the right formula would be crucial in seats that MIC lost narrowly in 2008.
The party had submitted a list of 56 names of potential winnable candidates, two for each constituency, to Barisan Nasional national chairman Najib Tun Razak.
The MIC leadership was also contemplating shifting chosen candidates to different constituencies to increase their chances of winning, such as in Prai, Lunas, Bukit Selambau and Batu Caves.
Party insiders said a capable winnable candidate could draw some 1,000 to 2,000 votes on his own.
“In the current political scenario, it’s a huge amount of votes. As BN faces a tough adversary, each vote counts,” said a MIC top leader.
Among main factors boosting MIC’s confidence was the alleged surging shift of support among ethnic Indians and Malays from Pakatan Rakyat towards BN.
Sources claimed that MIC and BN’s own ground studies and intelligence reports revealed that some 60% to 65% of Malays and Indians would back BN in the coming polls.
Chinese support for BN stood between 25% and 30%, said the source.
Sources said MIC would tap on Najib’s rapidly increasing popularity among the Indian community.
“Many working class Indians are impressed with Najib’s direct touch to address and resolve their issues spot on. This can tilt the balance in MIC’s favour in a close fight,” said a party insider.
I’m sorry, says Manoharan
The DAP rep apologises for his Twitter posting on national shuttler Lee Chong Wei's defeat.
PETALING JAYA: Kota Alam Shah state rep M Manoharan of DAP who courted the anger of Malaysians over the weekend has apologised on Twitter.
“I deeply regret the comments I made and tender my heartfelt apologies to Lee Chong Wei and his family,” he said.
He issued the statement after meeting with DAP national chairman Karpal Singh.
On Sunday, Manoharan angered Malaysians with his Twitter message when he commented on the Olympics badminton final match that pitted Lee against China’s Lin Dan.
“Malaysia will win its first gold medal after Pakatan [Rakyat] takes over Putrajaya. Lin Dan wins. He played better than Chong AWAY,” he had said.
Lee lost 21-15, 10-21, 19-21 to Lin Dan.
‘Don’t exploit the issue’
In a related development, Karpal called on Barisan Nasional component parties not to exploit the issue since Manoharan had apologised.
“Manoharan has extended an unconditional apology to Lee and his family and the matter should rest there,” he said in a press statement today.
He also admitted that Manoharan’s comments were uncalled for.
“The comments made by Manoharan over Lee Chong Wei’s performance are indefensible and ought not to have been made.
“Lee has taken Malaysia with pride and dignity on a world stage by his courage and grit in having done the best he could despite the ankle injury he suffered recently,” he added.
PETALING JAYA: Kota Alam Shah state rep M Manoharan of DAP who courted the anger of Malaysians over the weekend has apologised on Twitter.“I deeply regret the comments I made and tender my heartfelt apologies to Lee Chong Wei and his family,” he said.
He issued the statement after meeting with DAP national chairman Karpal Singh.
On Sunday, Manoharan angered Malaysians with his Twitter message when he commented on the Olympics badminton final match that pitted Lee against China’s Lin Dan.
“Malaysia will win its first gold medal after Pakatan [Rakyat] takes over Putrajaya. Lin Dan wins. He played better than Chong AWAY,” he had said.
Lee lost 21-15, 10-21, 19-21 to Lin Dan.
‘Don’t exploit the issue’
In a related development, Karpal called on Barisan Nasional component parties not to exploit the issue since Manoharan had apologised.
“Manoharan has extended an unconditional apology to Lee and his family and the matter should rest there,” he said in a press statement today.
He also admitted that Manoharan’s comments were uncalled for.
“The comments made by Manoharan over Lee Chong Wei’s performance are indefensible and ought not to have been made.
“Lee has taken Malaysia with pride and dignity on a world stage by his courage and grit in having done the best he could despite the ankle injury he suffered recently,” he added.
Religious bigots becometh of Malaysians?
Malaysians, after 55 years of claiming to be "independent from the shackles of colonialism", what have you achieved? What would Jesus and Muhammad say to the current regime and the hatemongers ...? Did Islam not borrow heavily from Jewish, Sabean, and Christian sources to construct its doctrine ... ?A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE
Dr Azly Rahman
The question of "proselytizing" is here again .. of "Christians spreading Christianity to Muslims" .. isn't this a political strategy to create fear amongst the people and next, a savior will come to the rescue? The process of "Islamization" is ongoing since time immemorial and so too has "Christian civilizing mission" ... what is there to fight against in a monotheistic context of believe?
Why instill fear of worldviews that are supposed to be similar wherein one complements each other .. unless those fear-mongers target people of lower cognitive-class consciousness and choose to play this dangerous game of religious hatred ...? Have we not seen the consequence of this in the case of church burnings, temple demolition, cow-head dragging? Can't you sober up, Malaysians? Why don't you experts sit down and craft an educational program of awareness of the importance of building bridges of faith and help the next generation understand each other so that they will become "world-wise" and can talk sense about race, religion, creed, class .. and help each other understand what it means to be a "spiritual being framed cross-culturally"?.
Politicians spend too much wasting time neglecting this aspect of nation-building and let religious bigots run around on a rampage to show-off their idiotic-religious pride ... shallow understanding of the evolution of religion, the nature of god and the ways to teach tolerance and understanding. Bigots many have become. Isn't religion about "making connections between the spirit and the divine" and a precondition of it is to understand the universality of the religious experience, of the phenomenology of belief?
Malaysians, after 55 years of claiming to be "independent from the shackles of colonialism", what have you achieved? What would Jesus and Muhammad say to the current regime and the hatemongers ...? Did Islam not borrow heavily from Jewish, Sabean, and Christian sources to construct its doctrine ... ? "read ... Iqra' ... read ... " as Islam tells its followers .. read ... for is not the greatest enemy of knowledge the illusion of wisdom ...?
*************************
DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman
http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/
BM-Premium B IP BM-Premium C IP Pakatan siap sedia, jangka PRU13 September
Setiausaha Agung PAS, Datuk Mustafa Ali berkata isu pilihanraya turut dibincangkan pada pada mesyuarat Majlis Setiausaha Pakatan Rakyat hari ini, dan yakin Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib akan menggunakan kesempatan hari Merdeka ini untuk mengumumkannya.
"Saya yakin Umno-Barisan Nasional akan mengambil kesempatan pada hari Kemerdekaan kali ini untuk memulihkan imej mereka," jelasnya pada sidang media di Pejabat PKR hari ini.
"Kita berkeyakinan ia akan diadakan pada September nanti dan paling lewat adalah pada bulan November. Segala perancangan telah kita aturkan sebaik mungkin," sambung beliau lagi.
Sementara itu, Ketua Pemuda DAP, Anthony Loke menyatakan Umno-Barisan Nasional akan terus menggunakan skrip lama dengan memburuk-burukkan DAP dengan tanggapan negetif.
"Skrip lama akan terus digunakan, memburukkan DAP dengan pandangan-pandangan negetif bagi tujuan menakut-nakutkan pengundi Melayu.
"Mereka berharap tindakan tersebut akan memberi kesan undi kepada PAS dan PKR kerana pengundi Melayu akan beralih kepada mereka," jelasnya.
Menurutnya lagi, selain Umno dengan skrip lama, rakan mereka MCA juga akan menakut-nakutkan pengundi Cina dengan isu Hudud akan tidak menyokong Pakatan dan seterusnya memberikan gambaran yang buruk kepada PAS.
"Bagi mengatasi tomahan yang tidak berasas ini, kita diperingkat Pakatan telah merangka strategi untuk menangkis tomahan tersebut.
"Apa yang kita harapkan nanti rakyat akan tertumpu kepada agenda yang kita akan bawakan untuk kebaikan seluruh rakyat negara ini," sambungnya lagi.
Katanya lagi, Pakatan akan terus menfokuskan kepada rakyat tentang agenda besar yang telah dipersetujui bersama di dalam dasar Pakatan Rakyat.
Turut hadir pada sidang media tersebut adalah Ahli Parlimen Kuala Selangor, Dr Dzulkifly Ahmad dan Nurul Izzah Anwar, Ahli Parlimen PKR.
The Malaysian dream — Art Harun
AUG 7 — With an overhead shot from around the baseline landing outside the court, his dream, and with that a Malaysian collective dream, ended. His opponent, dark, muscular and almost brooding, leapt in the air, turned around and ran around the court, with his arm opened wide as if he was going to take off the ground.
Datuk Lee Chong Wei gave his best. The Malaysian spectators at the venue shouted and screamed in unison. But luck wasn’t with Lee.
Nothing much separated the two players, really. It was a gladiatorial match. An epic. The best badminton match I had ever had the pleasure of watching.
There were moments during the match when I saw moves which were almost non-human in nature. Impossible speed, almost Spider-man like agility, the will and power of men possessed with an ultimate dream, an ultimate hope to win the ultimate prize.
At one point of time, I wondered how is it to feel the weight of the hope and wish of 28 million people on one’s tiny shoulder. How does one man deal with that? How does one man carry himself knowing every move of his might disappoint 28 million people? What is in his head every time he raises his racquet to serve, to smash and to return a drop shot?
I have nothing but admiration and pride for Lee and all our Olympians. For all their sacrifices, their hard work, their pains, blood, sweat and tears, dispensed in the name of national glory.
The Olympics, like any other mammoth sporting event, bring out the best and the worst in us. And the comical too.
Right after the opening ceremony, there were rumblings of how the Illuminati were at work to take over the world in Malaysian cyber-space. Clearly some of us have really fertile imaginations. Or perhaps some of us Malaysian Muslims were just showing signs of low blood sugar level during this fasting month. And so we read about the Olympic tree being a tree which, in Muslim traditions, is a tree which is sympathetic to the Jews, for example. I even received a private message on Facebook telling me that a certain prince is the manifestation of the anti-Christ. So I suppose this phenomenon is not restricted to the Muslims only.
Then there are people — politicians, of course — who don’t seem to know that there are moments when humanity takes over and politics doesn’t seem to matter. Astounding as it may be, believe it or not, there was a tweet by an opposition MP saying that Malaysia will win a gold medal in the Olympics after Pakatan Rakyat “takes over Putrajaya.” Good then. Put that in their party manifesto and ask the people to vote for them in the next GE with that promise. And while we are at it, how about telling the people that Malaysia will win the football World Cup too after Pakatan takes over whatever? Just so to complete the absurdity, tell us that the Middle-East conflict will be ended by Pakatan too please.
The positive side of this is the fact that Malaysians will sit together in unison to support the quest of our countrymen regardless of our faith, our race, breed and creed. To my mind, unity manifests itself in two forms, namely, situational unity and transcendental unity. We experience situational unity in every aspect of our daily life. The ultimate task for the government is to foster this situational harmony into a more permanent and cohesive unity.
Malaysians have always loved sports. And as far as I could remember, sports have always been the highlight of Malaysian unity. Never in any other act have Malaysians displayed so much loyalty, faith and unity than sporting events. I am old enough to remember how all of us watched with pride when our national football team played in the 1972 Munich Olympics. How we jumped in rapturous joy when James Wong scored against South Korea to send Malaysia to the 1980 Olympics. How the whole of Malaysia was transfixed when we hosted the 1975 hockey World Cup. And in recent times, Malaysians will of course fill with pride every time Datuk Nicol David or Lee win their respective tournament.
That proves that when faced with one ultimate — and common — aim and purpose, a people of diverse cultures, faiths and interests as well as of different races may set aside whatever differences they may have, whatever misgivings they may harbour against each other and unite.
Our task, in terms of trying to foster unity and harmony, is to create that ONE aim and purpose. I suppose we can begin by eliminating, or trying to eliminate, anything which threatens to divide us.
Or perhaps, we could just start by showing up at the airport to give a rousing homecoming to Lee and our Olympians. — art-harun.blogspot.com
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Police Need To Transform Attitude And Work Discipline - Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Members of the Royal Malaysia Police
(PDRM) need to transform their attitude and work discipline by
minimising the need for supervision by superior officers in facing
challenges to fulfill the increasing complex demands of society, said
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said, through steady self-discipline, the perception of society towards policing tasks would change, thus making the force a respected one.
"This is where the challenge is for policemen to carry out a transformation to enable PDRM to face the people who always want their lives to be assured in terms of security in this changing era.
"As such, we have to have a positive attitude in responding to the challenge by updating existing standard operating procedures," he said at a breaking of the fast ceremony with PDRM members at the Police Training Centre, here, Tuesday.
Also present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar and Chief Secretary to the Government, Datuk Seri Dr Ali Hamsa.
Speaking before 5,000 police personnel of various ranks, Najib said he believed every member of PDRM would respond to the challenge with full commitment and dedication.
The Prime Minister said in whatever situation, PDRM needed to emerge as a team which was always respected by all levels.
"I regard this as a new challenge, not only to PDRM, but also to the government in general, and as for the government, we will endeavour to help boost every aspect of the capability of the team," he said.
He said the government would always assist PDRM to develop its true capability according to its affordability.
"If we want to go to war, we must be equipped with weapons and strength to win.
"The government will help PDRM to increase its capacity," he said.
In the meantime, Najib wanted PDRM to continue to make GTP2 (Government Transformation Progerqamme 2) a success as had been the case with GTP1.
"Don't be disappointed if there is polemics and perception and what not on figures because we can continue our capability to go higher," he said.
At the ceremony, Najib also handed cheques to 18 widows of personnel who were killed while on duty, ex-gratia recipients and 10 privilege card recipients.
Other than breaking the fast, Najib also spent time to perform the Tarawih prayers with PDRM members at the Solehin Mosque there.
He said, through steady self-discipline, the perception of society towards policing tasks would change, thus making the force a respected one.
"This is where the challenge is for policemen to carry out a transformation to enable PDRM to face the people who always want their lives to be assured in terms of security in this changing era.
"As such, we have to have a positive attitude in responding to the challenge by updating existing standard operating procedures," he said at a breaking of the fast ceremony with PDRM members at the Police Training Centre, here, Tuesday.
Also present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar and Chief Secretary to the Government, Datuk Seri Dr Ali Hamsa.
Speaking before 5,000 police personnel of various ranks, Najib said he believed every member of PDRM would respond to the challenge with full commitment and dedication.
The Prime Minister said in whatever situation, PDRM needed to emerge as a team which was always respected by all levels.
"I regard this as a new challenge, not only to PDRM, but also to the government in general, and as for the government, we will endeavour to help boost every aspect of the capability of the team," he said.
He said the government would always assist PDRM to develop its true capability according to its affordability.
"If we want to go to war, we must be equipped with weapons and strength to win.
"The government will help PDRM to increase its capacity," he said.
In the meantime, Najib wanted PDRM to continue to make GTP2 (Government Transformation Progerqamme 2) a success as had been the case with GTP1.
"Don't be disappointed if there is polemics and perception and what not on figures because we can continue our capability to go higher," he said.
At the ceremony, Najib also handed cheques to 18 widows of personnel who were killed while on duty, ex-gratia recipients and 10 privilege card recipients.
Other than breaking the fast, Najib also spent time to perform the Tarawih prayers with PDRM members at the Solehin Mosque there.
Police brutality ; Indian couple jailed 21 days, head injuries, chilly padi on private part, handcuffed & hanged 15 hours.
|
In Reply :
Date : 7/8/2012
Media Event 8/8/2012 (Wednesday @ 11.30 am)
Re: 1) Malaysian Police Brutality on couple A.Segar (26) lock up 21 days in 3 lock up. Beaten with stick on head, handcuffed & hanged 15 hours, blended chili padi & minyak angin rubbed on private part, face & whole body. Injuries still visible.
2) M.Vikneswary (39) Accounts Executive lock up 18 days, hit with rubber hose on leg when refuse to remove clothes in front of 3 male policemen in room with no accompanying police women.
3) Keling, pukimak and vulgarities used
Date : 8/8/2012 (Wednesday)
Time : 11.30 am.
Venue: HINDRAF HQ, Jalan Abdulah, off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
___________
S. Jayathas
Information Chief HINDRAF
Read More : http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2012/08/07/photos-police-brutality-kepong-police-station-head-injuries-handcuffed-hanged-15-hours-chilly-padi-on-private-part/
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
Shahrizat felt humiliated by 'cow minister' tag
(Malaysiakini) Former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil described in detail in the High
Court in Kuala Lumpur today her humiliation at being called "Cow
minister of the year" by parliamentarian and PKR Wanita chief Zuraida
Kamaruddin.
No one, even politicians, deserved to be called in such a manner, the former women, family and community development minister told Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera when testifying on the RM100 million defamation suit she filed on Jan 19.
"Surely nobody deserves to be insulted in such a manner. This is beyond acceptable ‘political bantering'.
"It is obvious that Zuraida realises the reference to ‘lembu' is a deragotory remark and in the colloquial Malay sense suggests stupidity, and this is slanderous and insulting," Shahrizat said.
A minister for 13 years, she described the words uttered as meant to humiliate and tarnish her reputation as a woman and that this went beyond the permissable extent, even in the political arena.
Zuraida made the remark during the PKR delegates conference last year, Shahrizat said in the suit she filed against PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli and Zuraida for implicating her in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Sdn Bhd fiasco.
Rafizi and Zuraida have filed a counter-claim against the former minister.
The Umno Wanita leader and seasoned politician also said the Internet had resulted in the allegations "to be unstoppable", despite she being cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
'Internet a strange creature... unstoppable'
"The Internet is a strange creature in that once it has built sufficient momentum, it becomes unstoppable. Reading about a politician being allegedly corrupt is sensational and creates interest.
"However, reading any publication subsequently declaring the innocence will often go unnoticed.
"You must understand that if abused, the Internet can be an unchecked and uncontrollable weapon to spread rumours and lies, until such time a euphoria of hate is created among the public," Shahrizat said.
She said these accusations against her became a topic of conversation even in the Internet and on social networks.
Shahrizat said the very nature of social networks, when one posts comments, invite others to comment.
“This is when embellishment takes place. In fact, I was informed the allegations against me spiralled into suggestions and accusations that the National Feedlot Corporation funded holidays for me in Phuket.
“My
whole family and I have never ever been to Phuket. This is a ridiculous
and blatant vicious lie orchestrated to produce anger and hatred
towards me and my family,” she said of the allegation raised by Rafizi.
Rafizi at in one of his press conferences, Shahrizat said, claimed that the NFC booked a holiday through travel agency Impian Global Network Services. However, Shahrizat said, as a travel agency, Impian Global arranged tickets for business and pleasure as well.
“Let me explain how mischievous Rafizi is. In his press conference, he identified that payments were made through the travel agent by NFC. He then produced a print-out of their website, which revealed that this travel agent also advertised holiday packages to Phuket, Bandung, etc.
“He then made this insidious and deceptive conclusion that since these packages were advertised, NFC must have bought packages to Phuket, Bandung and other advertised holiday destinations.
“In all honesty, NFC never bought me any holiday packages but instead, merely used the travel agent for its ticketing for business travel,” she said.
'Rafizi planted seeds of doubt and suspicion'
Shahrizat said Rafizi planted seeds of doubts and suspicion in his press conference by referring to the website advertisements for holiday packages and concluded that NFC bought holiday packages for her.
The former minister and Umno Wanita chief said hundreds of articles were now circulated on the Internet on the NFC issue, along with widespread postings on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.
She also touched on her decision to resign from the cabinet when her term as senator expired.
“As a responsible leader, I wanted to do the right thing. I do not want the opposition to use me as the wife of the NFC chairperson to malign or cast aspersions on the government while I hold public office.
“I was being investigated by the MACC, judged by the court of public opinion as a result of the lies orchestrated by the defendants (Rafizi and Zuraida).
“It was not tenable for me to carry out my public duties so I resigned as minister at the end of my term as a senator. However, I am still the Wanita Umno and Wanita BN chief,” she said.
Shahrizat is expected to be cross-examined by lawyers for Rafizi and Zuraida on Friday before Justice Vazeer Alam. Also present in court today was her husband and NFC chairperson Mohd Salleh Ismail and their children.
No one, even politicians, deserved to be called in such a manner, the former women, family and community development minister told Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera when testifying on the RM100 million defamation suit she filed on Jan 19.
"Surely nobody deserves to be insulted in such a manner. This is beyond acceptable ‘political bantering'. "It is obvious that Zuraida realises the reference to ‘lembu' is a deragotory remark and in the colloquial Malay sense suggests stupidity, and this is slanderous and insulting," Shahrizat said.
A minister for 13 years, she described the words uttered as meant to humiliate and tarnish her reputation as a woman and that this went beyond the permissable extent, even in the political arena.
Zuraida made the remark during the PKR delegates conference last year, Shahrizat said in the suit she filed against PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli and Zuraida for implicating her in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Sdn Bhd fiasco.
Rafizi and Zuraida have filed a counter-claim against the former minister.
The Umno Wanita leader and seasoned politician also said the Internet had resulted in the allegations "to be unstoppable", despite she being cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
'Internet a strange creature... unstoppable'
"The Internet is a strange creature in that once it has built sufficient momentum, it becomes unstoppable. Reading about a politician being allegedly corrupt is sensational and creates interest.
"However, reading any publication subsequently declaring the innocence will often go unnoticed.
"You must understand that if abused, the Internet can be an unchecked and uncontrollable weapon to spread rumours and lies, until such time a euphoria of hate is created among the public," Shahrizat said.
She said these accusations against her became a topic of conversation even in the Internet and on social networks.
Shahrizat said the very nature of social networks, when one posts comments, invite others to comment.
“This is when embellishment takes place. In fact, I was informed the allegations against me spiralled into suggestions and accusations that the National Feedlot Corporation funded holidays for me in Phuket.
“My
whole family and I have never ever been to Phuket. This is a ridiculous
and blatant vicious lie orchestrated to produce anger and hatred
towards me and my family,” she said of the allegation raised by Rafizi.Rafizi at in one of his press conferences, Shahrizat said, claimed that the NFC booked a holiday through travel agency Impian Global Network Services. However, Shahrizat said, as a travel agency, Impian Global arranged tickets for business and pleasure as well.
“Let me explain how mischievous Rafizi is. In his press conference, he identified that payments were made through the travel agent by NFC. He then produced a print-out of their website, which revealed that this travel agent also advertised holiday packages to Phuket, Bandung, etc.
“He then made this insidious and deceptive conclusion that since these packages were advertised, NFC must have bought packages to Phuket, Bandung and other advertised holiday destinations.
“In all honesty, NFC never bought me any holiday packages but instead, merely used the travel agent for its ticketing for business travel,” she said.
'Rafizi planted seeds of doubt and suspicion'
Shahrizat said Rafizi planted seeds of doubts and suspicion in his press conference by referring to the website advertisements for holiday packages and concluded that NFC bought holiday packages for her.
The former minister and Umno Wanita chief said hundreds of articles were now circulated on the Internet on the NFC issue, along with widespread postings on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.
She also touched on her decision to resign from the cabinet when her term as senator expired.
“As a responsible leader, I wanted to do the right thing. I do not want the opposition to use me as the wife of the NFC chairperson to malign or cast aspersions on the government while I hold public office.
“I was being investigated by the MACC, judged by the court of public opinion as a result of the lies orchestrated by the defendants (Rafizi and Zuraida).
“It was not tenable for me to carry out my public duties so I resigned as minister at the end of my term as a senator. However, I am still the Wanita Umno and Wanita BN chief,” she said.
Shahrizat is expected to be cross-examined by lawyers for Rafizi and Zuraida on Friday before Justice Vazeer Alam. Also present in court today was her husband and NFC chairperson Mohd Salleh Ismail and their children.
Men with weird hairstyles risk arrest in Saudi
Saudi Arabia’s feared religious police warned men they could be arrested if they are caught in public with a weird hair style deemed against Islamic tenets.
The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said it has plans to enter schools next academic year to warn teen age boys against styling their hair in a way that violate tradition in the conservative Gulf Kingdom.
The Commission’s chairman, Abdul Latif Al Sheikh, was reacting to reports about what newspapers described as a widespread phenomenon involving teen age Saudis wearing weird dresses and styling their hair in a bizarre way.
“Hair is a personal thing in which we should not intervene directly,” he said, quoted by the Saudi Arabic language daily Okaz.
“But if the young man wears strange clothes and his hair style violates Islamic tradition and tenets, then he will be stopped…if we find that this boy’s aim is to harass women and hurt the society in a way that will make us a subject of sarcasm among other societies, then we have to prevent and deter him.”
‘Christian’ Indonesia a big threat to Malaysia, says Muslim academic
Tee has long styled himself a champion of Islam.
The Chinese-Muslim convert was weighing in on a recent furore in the world’s most populous Muslim nation that is experiencing a growing wave of converts to Christianity — as many as two million people a year — that had sparked a recent campaign to reverse the religious trend called “Save Maryam”.
Indonesia used to be 90 per cent Muslim, he said, but was now recording only 200 million Muslims out of a total population of 240 million.
“Mengikut jangkaan, jika sesuatu tidak dilakukan, pada 2035, Indonesia akan menjadi negara majoriti Kristian (According to estimates, if nothing is done, Indonesia will become a Christian-majority country by 2035).
“Jika perkara ini berlaku, ini satu ancaman besar kepada negara Islam kecil seperti Malaysia (If nothing is done, this will be a huge threat to a small Muslim nation like Malaysia),” said the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia lecturer, in his column “Buka Minda (Open Mind)” published today by Malay daily Sinar Harian.
Tee, who is a member of the Islamic Consultative Council and Wasatiyyah panel in the Prime Minister’s Department, has long styled himself a champion of Islam.
He noted that many Muslim Indonesians converted to Christianity due to a variety of factors including the high poverty rate there that caused some to “sell out” their faith and the lack of laws to protect Muslims against Christian proselytisation in contrast to Malaysia.
But the columnist, who also writes for Umno-owned Malay broadsheet Utusan Malaysia, said the Christianisation movement was on the upswing here.
Tee appeared to suggest that Christians were the “enemy” of Muslims, citing a passage from the Quran, Surah Al-Anfal.
He said Christians had great financial power around the world and the Malay archipelago was now their main target after they had “failed” in their missionary attempts in the West.
He warned that Christian evangelical movements could attempt to employ similar tactics here as they did in Indonesia and called on Muslim Malaysians to “save” their brethren in the archipelago.
“Ingatlah wahai saudaraku, orang Indonesia itu juga adalah saudara kita (Remember my brothers, the Indonesians are our brethren too).
“Selamat mereka, selamatlah kita (If they are safe, we too are safe),” he said.
In multicultural Malaysia, non-Muslims are barred by the law from proselytising their faiths to Muslims even as they are constitutionally guaranteed the freedom to practise their religions.
However, several right-wing religious groups have accused churches here of converting Muslims to Christianity and turning them into apostates, which is viewed as a serious offence and which has strained Christian-Muslim ties here over the past few years.
Hudud: Is Karpal fighting lone battle?
With the clock ticking away, it is imperative that the DAP-PAS verbal war over the hudud issue be dealt with as quickly as possible.
COMMENT
The DAP-PAS row over the latter’s refusal to budge from the hudud issue has reached a boiling point and, if not dealt with quickly and wisely, this altercation is going to deal a severe blow to Pakatan Rakyat’s mission of becoming the next federal government.
Leading the objecion to PAS’ determination to implement the Islamic law should Pakatan win the coming 13th general election is DAP national chairman and seasoned lawyer Karpal Singh.
Karpal remains steadfast in rejecting any plans by PAS to put in place the hudud law. And to prove that he means business, Karpal recently once again warned PAS to drop any idea of turning its dream of setting up an Islamic state and instituting hudud laws into reality.
The aggressive lawyer is worried that PAS’ stubborness in wanting to do so will only sabotage Pakatan’s chances in the coming polls.
Karpal had said: “PAS is only scuttling Pakatan Rakyat’s march to Putrajaya in the coming election with contradictory statements on its stand on Islamic state. Hudud is not included in the Pakatan’s common policy framework, Buku Jingga. Likewise, it will not be included in the common manifesto of Pakatan.”
Prior to Karpal’s remarks, PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi claimed that those rejecting God’s laws would be considered “kufur”, an Arabic word often translated as “disbelievers”.
According to the New Straits Times, Nasrudin, in a posting on Twitter, had said: “Karpal is consistent in rejecting hudud because he is a kufur. PAS must continue with its struggle to uphold Islam.”
That led to the DAP-PAS scuffle, with Karpal urging PAS to “stop supplying cannon fodder to the Barisan Nasional to be aimed at Pakatan”, saying that it was “counter productive and politically naive”.
Karpal also cautioned Nasrudin to “mind his language” and also questioned if the latter was the “spokesman of PAS”.
“I must warn this political upstart to mind his language. No one, no party, no organisation can claim to have a monopoly on God. I must state with all the force at my command that I believe in God. There is only one God and all religions reflect that,” Karpal shot back at Nasrudin.
Is PAS clear on what it wants?
Karpal is worried that PAS’ ambiguous “yes” and then “no” and “yes” stand on its hudud laws and Islamic state agenda will spoil Pakatan’s chances in the 13th general election.
The lawyer, better known as the “Tiger of Jelutong”, for his 20 years of service as the MP for Jelutong, recalls that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had on June 3 last year publicly stated that the Quran mentioned a “welfare state”, not an “Islamic state”.
“This reflects beyond the pale of a doubt that PAS has given up its aim to set up an Islamic state. PAS has, clearly, opted for a welfare state,” Karpal said.
To Karpal, as hudud was a component of the Islamic state, “any attempt by PAS now to espouse the introduction of hudud in the country would badly reflect on the decisions made during the last PAS muktamar – shifting its agenda for an Islamic state to a more inclusive ‘welfare state’”.
Another point that Karpal raised was that on June 8 last year, the New Straits Times quoted PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat as saying that the party was right in shifting its focus from
“Islamic state” to “welfare state”.
Clearly, PAS’s inability to make up its mind might just worsen the debate over the hudud issue, with Karpal left wondering what more would it take for PAS to come to its senses instead of confusing and worrying supporters of Pakatan.
Does Karpal have the support he needs
While Karpal continues to defend DAP’s refusal to entertain PAS’ hudud and Islamic state agenda,
ironically, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and his son and party secretary-general Guan Eng have been silent on the Islamist issue.
This is equally worrying for it makes one wonder whether Karpal actually has all the support he needs in putting an end to PAS’ hudud and Islamic state controversy.
Or is Karpal fighting a lone battle here?
It does not seem so, going by the support shown by DAP Bagan Dalam state representative A Tanasekharan who reproached Terengganu PAS Youth chief Mohd Nor Hamzah for “being rude” by calling on Karpal to quit politics over the Islamist party’s hudud issue.
Mohd Nor also claimed that Karpal’s “outdated views” had become a liability to Pakatan” The Bukit Payung assemblyman claimed that Karpal’s media outbursts against the implementation of hudud had strained the relationship among Pakatan parties.
To this, Tanasekharan said: “Who is he to call Karpal to quit… is he qualified to do so in the first place? It’s rude, uncalled-for and unjustifiable.”
Tanasekharan said Karpal was consistently the most vocal elected representative to voice out against any threat against the secular ideals of the Malaysian constitution.
To Tanasekharan, it was about Karpal being duty-bound to criticise PAS’ unconstitutional and extreme Islamist agenda, which posed a threat to national unity in the long run.
And he further admonished Nor Hamzah, saying he had to learn to show respect to elders like Karpal, given the DAP leader’s political experience.
With the clock ticking away, it is imperative that the DAP-PAS verbal war over the hudud issue be dealt with as quickly as possible; otherwise, the Islamic agenda being harboured by PAS would throw a spanner in the works as far as Pakatan’s objective of gaining control over Putrajaya is concerned.
As for Karpal, be it a lone battle or otherwise, what is evident is that he has regularly spoken against the PAS Islamic brand, a move which the Islamic party’s leaders refuse to accept, claiming instead that Karpal is all alone in the DAP opposing it.
Does PAS’ claim that Karpal is all alone in rejecting the hudud and Islamic state issue hold water? Or, for that matter, will the DAP and Pakatan stalwarts take a stand and lend Karpal the much- needed support?
Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.
COMMENT
The DAP-PAS row over the latter’s refusal to budge from the hudud issue has reached a boiling point and, if not dealt with quickly and wisely, this altercation is going to deal a severe blow to Pakatan Rakyat’s mission of becoming the next federal government.Leading the objecion to PAS’ determination to implement the Islamic law should Pakatan win the coming 13th general election is DAP national chairman and seasoned lawyer Karpal Singh.
Karpal remains steadfast in rejecting any plans by PAS to put in place the hudud law. And to prove that he means business, Karpal recently once again warned PAS to drop any idea of turning its dream of setting up an Islamic state and instituting hudud laws into reality.
The aggressive lawyer is worried that PAS’ stubborness in wanting to do so will only sabotage Pakatan’s chances in the coming polls.
Karpal had said: “PAS is only scuttling Pakatan Rakyat’s march to Putrajaya in the coming election with contradictory statements on its stand on Islamic state. Hudud is not included in the Pakatan’s common policy framework, Buku Jingga. Likewise, it will not be included in the common manifesto of Pakatan.”
Prior to Karpal’s remarks, PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi claimed that those rejecting God’s laws would be considered “kufur”, an Arabic word often translated as “disbelievers”.
According to the New Straits Times, Nasrudin, in a posting on Twitter, had said: “Karpal is consistent in rejecting hudud because he is a kufur. PAS must continue with its struggle to uphold Islam.”
That led to the DAP-PAS scuffle, with Karpal urging PAS to “stop supplying cannon fodder to the Barisan Nasional to be aimed at Pakatan”, saying that it was “counter productive and politically naive”.
Karpal also cautioned Nasrudin to “mind his language” and also questioned if the latter was the “spokesman of PAS”.
“I must warn this political upstart to mind his language. No one, no party, no organisation can claim to have a monopoly on God. I must state with all the force at my command that I believe in God. There is only one God and all religions reflect that,” Karpal shot back at Nasrudin.
Is PAS clear on what it wants?
Karpal is worried that PAS’ ambiguous “yes” and then “no” and “yes” stand on its hudud laws and Islamic state agenda will spoil Pakatan’s chances in the 13th general election.
The lawyer, better known as the “Tiger of Jelutong”, for his 20 years of service as the MP for Jelutong, recalls that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had on June 3 last year publicly stated that the Quran mentioned a “welfare state”, not an “Islamic state”.
“This reflects beyond the pale of a doubt that PAS has given up its aim to set up an Islamic state. PAS has, clearly, opted for a welfare state,” Karpal said.
To Karpal, as hudud was a component of the Islamic state, “any attempt by PAS now to espouse the introduction of hudud in the country would badly reflect on the decisions made during the last PAS muktamar – shifting its agenda for an Islamic state to a more inclusive ‘welfare state’”.
Another point that Karpal raised was that on June 8 last year, the New Straits Times quoted PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat as saying that the party was right in shifting its focus from
“Islamic state” to “welfare state”.
Clearly, PAS’s inability to make up its mind might just worsen the debate over the hudud issue, with Karpal left wondering what more would it take for PAS to come to its senses instead of confusing and worrying supporters of Pakatan.
Does Karpal have the support he needs
While Karpal continues to defend DAP’s refusal to entertain PAS’ hudud and Islamic state agenda,
ironically, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and his son and party secretary-general Guan Eng have been silent on the Islamist issue.
This is equally worrying for it makes one wonder whether Karpal actually has all the support he needs in putting an end to PAS’ hudud and Islamic state controversy.
Or is Karpal fighting a lone battle here?
It does not seem so, going by the support shown by DAP Bagan Dalam state representative A Tanasekharan who reproached Terengganu PAS Youth chief Mohd Nor Hamzah for “being rude” by calling on Karpal to quit politics over the Islamist party’s hudud issue.
Mohd Nor also claimed that Karpal’s “outdated views” had become a liability to Pakatan” The Bukit Payung assemblyman claimed that Karpal’s media outbursts against the implementation of hudud had strained the relationship among Pakatan parties.
To this, Tanasekharan said: “Who is he to call Karpal to quit… is he qualified to do so in the first place? It’s rude, uncalled-for and unjustifiable.”
Tanasekharan said Karpal was consistently the most vocal elected representative to voice out against any threat against the secular ideals of the Malaysian constitution.
To Tanasekharan, it was about Karpal being duty-bound to criticise PAS’ unconstitutional and extreme Islamist agenda, which posed a threat to national unity in the long run.
And he further admonished Nor Hamzah, saying he had to learn to show respect to elders like Karpal, given the DAP leader’s political experience.
With the clock ticking away, it is imperative that the DAP-PAS verbal war over the hudud issue be dealt with as quickly as possible; otherwise, the Islamic agenda being harboured by PAS would throw a spanner in the works as far as Pakatan’s objective of gaining control over Putrajaya is concerned.
As for Karpal, be it a lone battle or otherwise, what is evident is that he has regularly spoken against the PAS Islamic brand, a move which the Islamic party’s leaders refuse to accept, claiming instead that Karpal is all alone in the DAP opposing it.
Does PAS’ claim that Karpal is all alone in rejecting the hudud and Islamic state issue hold water? Or, for that matter, will the DAP and Pakatan stalwarts take a stand and lend Karpal the much- needed support?
Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.
Bukan warga di negara sendiri
Selagi polisi tidak diubah, selagi itulah masalah dokumen pengenalan diri tidak akan selesai.
COMMENT
Sejak hampir setahun lalu, saya sering mendengar dan membaca mengenai kempen pendaftaran dokumen pengenalan diri yang diterajui pihak tertentu. Kempen dan jerayawara (roadshow) diadakan di pelbagai tempat, khabarnya untuk membantu orang ramai mendapatkan kad pengenalan dan sijil kelahiran.
Bagaimanapun, dua perkara membuatkan saya ingin tahu lebih lanjut mengenai usaha berkenaan. Pertama, adakah “kempen” itu bersifat sementara atau masalah yang timbul benar-benar diteliti pada peringkat akar-umbi lalu diselesaikan sepenuhnya.
Dengan erti kata lain, apakah benar-benar dilakukan dengan ikhlas atau sekadar kempen bagi kepentingan politik pihak tertentu. Selepas tempoh kempen selesai, mangsa tetap kekal sebagai bukan warganegara di negara sendiri.
Persoalan kedua yang muncul dalam fikiran saya adalah mengenai penglibatan Persatuan Jaringan Pembangunan Manusia Luar Bandar, Malaysia (DHRRA Malaysia).
Setahu saya, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) itu terlibat secara aktif dan berterusan sejak 2003 dalam usaha-usaha menyelesaikan masalah dokumen pengenalan diri. Lalu, mengapa nama DHRRA Malaysia tidak muncul langsung dalam kempen dan roadshow kali ini?
Saya bertemu presidennya, Saravanan M. Sinapan untuk mendapatkan penjelasan berhubung persoalan itu serta beberapa isu berkaitan.
Menurutnya, isu ketiadaan sijil kelahiran, kad pengenalan dan kewarganegaraan (statelessness) sesungguhnya diketengahkan oleh DHRRA Malaysia dengan kerjasama ERA Consumer Malaysia sejak 2003.
“Kami menjalankan pelbagai kempen untuk membantu anggota masyarakat yang menghadapi isu dokumen pengenalan diri. Kami berusaha mendaftar mereka agar mereka mendapat hak-hak asasi mereka,” katanya sewaktu ditemui di pejabat DHRRA Malaysia di Petaling Jaya pada 2 Ogos 2012.
Saya difahamkan bahawa suatu seminar diadakan pada 2005, melibatkan sekitar 250 individu yang menghadapi masalah dokumen pengenalan diri. Sambutan daripada Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) sendiri didapati kurang baik kerana gagal menghantar wakil ke seminar berkenaan.
“Tetapi kami mendapat wakil dari UNHCR dan pelbagai NGO lain yang menghadiri seminar polisi itu untuk berkongsi pengalaman cara-cara mengatasi masalah dokumen pengenalan di Thailand, Sri Lanka dan sebagainya. Selepas itu, kami cuba berhubung dengan agensi kerajaan terbabit dan menegaskan bahawa salah satu isu dalam kalangan masyarakat India di Malaysia adalah dokumen pengenalan diri,” Saravanan menghuraikan.
Kempen MyDaftar
Sambil mengakui bahawa pihak-pihak tertentu tidak mengambil serius isu tersebut, beliau menegaskan bahawa DHRRA Malaysia tetap meneruskan usaha dan kempen secara berterusan bagi membantu masyarakat pelbagai kaum.
“Selepas Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12, kerajaan persekutuan di bawah pimpinan Datuk Seri Najib Razak menubuhkan satu pasukan khas yang dipengerusikan beliau sendiri dan bertujuan mengenal pasti apakah punca-punca masyarakat India tidak menyokong (mengundi) Barisan Nasional pada 2008,” katanya.
Agak menarik bahawa salah satu isu yang turut dibangkitkan oleh DHRRA Malaysia dalam perbincangan Rancangan Malaysia Kesepuluh adalah isu dokumen pengenalan diri. Tentulah amat wajar kerana tiada gunanya segala RMK sekiranya rakyat negara ini tidak mempunyai dokumen pengenalan diri yang membolehkan mereka mendapat apa-apa kebaikan daripada RMK itu.
Hasil daripada saranan itu, Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) ditubuhkan dan dipengerusikan Datuk Dr S Subramaniam, lalu memulakan kempen “MyDaftar”.
Wajar disebutkan bahawa jawatankuasa itu mengundang DHRRA Malaysia untuk melatih pegawai terbabit supaya kempen “MyDaftar” dapat dijalankan dengan berkesan; dan bukan hanya hangat-hangat tahi ayam atau indah khabar dari rupa.
“Semasa perbincangan dengan kumpulan SITF, kami telah tegaskan bahawa masalah dokumen pengenalan ini tidak boleh diselesaikan dalam masa singkat kerana isu sebenar adalah berkenaan dengan polisi,” Saravanan menegaskan.
Perkara ini amat penting kerana kebanyakan individu yang berdepan dengan masalah ketiadaan dokumen pengenalan tidak mempunyai bahan bukti yang cukup; sekali gus sukar untuk diselesaikan dalam masa yang singkat – misalnya dalam tempoh kempen selama dua minggu.
Maka, suatu hakikat yang perlu diterima adalah bahawa walaupun kempen “MyDaftar” diadakah secara besar-besaran selama beberapa minggu di seluruh negara, isu sebenar yang dihadapi “mangsa” masih belum selesai.
Sebagai sebuah NGO yang bukan mementingkan “hasil” dan “nama” dalam masa yang singkat, DHRRA Malaysia meneruskan pula kempen berterusan yang dinamakan “My Document” dan mendapat sokongan Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM).
Turut dilancarkan adalah “My Search” iaitu talian Pusat Panggilan Komuniti yang beroperasi sepanjang tahun, dari 9:00 pagi hingga 9:00 malam. Dengan menggunakan Bahasa Malaysia, Inggeris dan Tamil sebagai bahasa pengantar, DHRRA Malaysia sedia membantu masyarakat pelbagai kaum di seluruh negara untuk mengatasi masalah yang dihadapi.
Saya sendiri sentiasa mengikuti perkembangan aktiviti DHRRA Malaysia melalui laman sesawang dan Facebook. Namun, di media arus perdana, kredit sentiasa diberikan kepada pihak lain; khususnya politikus atau agensi kerajaan.
Apabila dikemukakan pertanyaan itu, Saravanan menjelaskan bahawa akhbar-akhbar Tamil sering memaparkan berita mengenai usaha-usaha yang dilakukan NGO itu dalam membantu masyarakat.
“Dalam akhbar-akhbar dan media lain, mereka menumpukan pada inisiatif yang diambil oleh kerajaan. MyDaftar adalah salah satu inisiatif seumpama itu, maka keutamaan liputan media arus perdana lebih menjurus ke sana,” katanya.
Negara asal: Malaysia
Ringkasnya, DHRRA Malaysia tidak mendambakan pengiktirafan atau liputan meluas di akhbar dan media arus perdana atas sumbangan dan inisiatif yang diambilnya. Sebab itulah juga ramai yang tidak tahu bahawa wakil DHRRA Malaysia pernah membentangkan kertas kerja di Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB) mengenai peranan NGO dalam menyelesaikan isu-isu dokumen pengenalan diri.
Apakah cara terbaik dan paling berkesan untuk mengatasi masalah rakyat negara ini yang tidak mempunyai dokumen pengenalan diri seperti sijil kelahiran, kad pengenalan dan dokumen kewarganegaraan?
“Saya percaya, Ahli-ahli Parlimen dan Kerajaan Persekutuan harus mengadakan seminar polisi dan seterusnya menukar polisi sedia ada. Contohnya, apabila seorang individu diminta mengemukakan bahan bukti kelahiran dan saksi, dia tidak dapat berbuat demikian kerana estet tempat asalnya sudah tidak wujud,” Saravanan menghuraikan.
Saranan DHRRA Malaysia adalah supaya kes-kes seperti ini diberi sedikit kelonggaran. Jika tidak, generasi demi generasi keluarga itu akan kekal tanpa dokumen pengenalan diri dan tanpa kewarganegaraan. Misalnya, individu yang disahkan “negara asal: Malaysia” tetapi hanya diberi taraf “pemastautin tetap”.
“Kami mencadangkan supaya mereka yang lahir di Malaysia, ibu bapa mereka juga orang Malaysia, dan mereka tidak mempunyai sebarang kerakyatan lain, maka harus diberi kewarganegaraan secara automatik mengikut peruntukan Perlembagaan,” katanya.
Maklumat lanjut mengenai DHRRA Malaysia boleh diakses di laman web www.dhrramalaysia.org.my atau talian 03-78747680.
COMMENT
Sejak hampir setahun lalu, saya sering mendengar dan membaca mengenai kempen pendaftaran dokumen pengenalan diri yang diterajui pihak tertentu. Kempen dan jerayawara (roadshow) diadakan di pelbagai tempat, khabarnya untuk membantu orang ramai mendapatkan kad pengenalan dan sijil kelahiran.
Bagaimanapun, dua perkara membuatkan saya ingin tahu lebih lanjut mengenai usaha berkenaan. Pertama, adakah “kempen” itu bersifat sementara atau masalah yang timbul benar-benar diteliti pada peringkat akar-umbi lalu diselesaikan sepenuhnya.
Dengan erti kata lain, apakah benar-benar dilakukan dengan ikhlas atau sekadar kempen bagi kepentingan politik pihak tertentu. Selepas tempoh kempen selesai, mangsa tetap kekal sebagai bukan warganegara di negara sendiri.
Persoalan kedua yang muncul dalam fikiran saya adalah mengenai penglibatan Persatuan Jaringan Pembangunan Manusia Luar Bandar, Malaysia (DHRRA Malaysia).
Setahu saya, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) itu terlibat secara aktif dan berterusan sejak 2003 dalam usaha-usaha menyelesaikan masalah dokumen pengenalan diri. Lalu, mengapa nama DHRRA Malaysia tidak muncul langsung dalam kempen dan roadshow kali ini?
Saya bertemu presidennya, Saravanan M. Sinapan untuk mendapatkan penjelasan berhubung persoalan itu serta beberapa isu berkaitan.
Menurutnya, isu ketiadaan sijil kelahiran, kad pengenalan dan kewarganegaraan (statelessness) sesungguhnya diketengahkan oleh DHRRA Malaysia dengan kerjasama ERA Consumer Malaysia sejak 2003.
“Kami menjalankan pelbagai kempen untuk membantu anggota masyarakat yang menghadapi isu dokumen pengenalan diri. Kami berusaha mendaftar mereka agar mereka mendapat hak-hak asasi mereka,” katanya sewaktu ditemui di pejabat DHRRA Malaysia di Petaling Jaya pada 2 Ogos 2012.
Saya difahamkan bahawa suatu seminar diadakan pada 2005, melibatkan sekitar 250 individu yang menghadapi masalah dokumen pengenalan diri. Sambutan daripada Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) sendiri didapati kurang baik kerana gagal menghantar wakil ke seminar berkenaan.
“Tetapi kami mendapat wakil dari UNHCR dan pelbagai NGO lain yang menghadiri seminar polisi itu untuk berkongsi pengalaman cara-cara mengatasi masalah dokumen pengenalan di Thailand, Sri Lanka dan sebagainya. Selepas itu, kami cuba berhubung dengan agensi kerajaan terbabit dan menegaskan bahawa salah satu isu dalam kalangan masyarakat India di Malaysia adalah dokumen pengenalan diri,” Saravanan menghuraikan.
Kempen MyDaftar
Sambil mengakui bahawa pihak-pihak tertentu tidak mengambil serius isu tersebut, beliau menegaskan bahawa DHRRA Malaysia tetap meneruskan usaha dan kempen secara berterusan bagi membantu masyarakat pelbagai kaum.
“Selepas Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12, kerajaan persekutuan di bawah pimpinan Datuk Seri Najib Razak menubuhkan satu pasukan khas yang dipengerusikan beliau sendiri dan bertujuan mengenal pasti apakah punca-punca masyarakat India tidak menyokong (mengundi) Barisan Nasional pada 2008,” katanya.Agak menarik bahawa salah satu isu yang turut dibangkitkan oleh DHRRA Malaysia dalam perbincangan Rancangan Malaysia Kesepuluh adalah isu dokumen pengenalan diri. Tentulah amat wajar kerana tiada gunanya segala RMK sekiranya rakyat negara ini tidak mempunyai dokumen pengenalan diri yang membolehkan mereka mendapat apa-apa kebaikan daripada RMK itu.
Hasil daripada saranan itu, Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) ditubuhkan dan dipengerusikan Datuk Dr S Subramaniam, lalu memulakan kempen “MyDaftar”.
Wajar disebutkan bahawa jawatankuasa itu mengundang DHRRA Malaysia untuk melatih pegawai terbabit supaya kempen “MyDaftar” dapat dijalankan dengan berkesan; dan bukan hanya hangat-hangat tahi ayam atau indah khabar dari rupa.
“Semasa perbincangan dengan kumpulan SITF, kami telah tegaskan bahawa masalah dokumen pengenalan ini tidak boleh diselesaikan dalam masa singkat kerana isu sebenar adalah berkenaan dengan polisi,” Saravanan menegaskan.
Perkara ini amat penting kerana kebanyakan individu yang berdepan dengan masalah ketiadaan dokumen pengenalan tidak mempunyai bahan bukti yang cukup; sekali gus sukar untuk diselesaikan dalam masa yang singkat – misalnya dalam tempoh kempen selama dua minggu.
Maka, suatu hakikat yang perlu diterima adalah bahawa walaupun kempen “MyDaftar” diadakah secara besar-besaran selama beberapa minggu di seluruh negara, isu sebenar yang dihadapi “mangsa” masih belum selesai.
Sebagai sebuah NGO yang bukan mementingkan “hasil” dan “nama” dalam masa yang singkat, DHRRA Malaysia meneruskan pula kempen berterusan yang dinamakan “My Document” dan mendapat sokongan Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM).
Turut dilancarkan adalah “My Search” iaitu talian Pusat Panggilan Komuniti yang beroperasi sepanjang tahun, dari 9:00 pagi hingga 9:00 malam. Dengan menggunakan Bahasa Malaysia, Inggeris dan Tamil sebagai bahasa pengantar, DHRRA Malaysia sedia membantu masyarakat pelbagai kaum di seluruh negara untuk mengatasi masalah yang dihadapi.
Saya sendiri sentiasa mengikuti perkembangan aktiviti DHRRA Malaysia melalui laman sesawang dan Facebook. Namun, di media arus perdana, kredit sentiasa diberikan kepada pihak lain; khususnya politikus atau agensi kerajaan.
Apabila dikemukakan pertanyaan itu, Saravanan menjelaskan bahawa akhbar-akhbar Tamil sering memaparkan berita mengenai usaha-usaha yang dilakukan NGO itu dalam membantu masyarakat.
“Dalam akhbar-akhbar dan media lain, mereka menumpukan pada inisiatif yang diambil oleh kerajaan. MyDaftar adalah salah satu inisiatif seumpama itu, maka keutamaan liputan media arus perdana lebih menjurus ke sana,” katanya.
Negara asal: Malaysia
Ringkasnya, DHRRA Malaysia tidak mendambakan pengiktirafan atau liputan meluas di akhbar dan media arus perdana atas sumbangan dan inisiatif yang diambilnya. Sebab itulah juga ramai yang tidak tahu bahawa wakil DHRRA Malaysia pernah membentangkan kertas kerja di Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB) mengenai peranan NGO dalam menyelesaikan isu-isu dokumen pengenalan diri.Apakah cara terbaik dan paling berkesan untuk mengatasi masalah rakyat negara ini yang tidak mempunyai dokumen pengenalan diri seperti sijil kelahiran, kad pengenalan dan dokumen kewarganegaraan?
“Saya percaya, Ahli-ahli Parlimen dan Kerajaan Persekutuan harus mengadakan seminar polisi dan seterusnya menukar polisi sedia ada. Contohnya, apabila seorang individu diminta mengemukakan bahan bukti kelahiran dan saksi, dia tidak dapat berbuat demikian kerana estet tempat asalnya sudah tidak wujud,” Saravanan menghuraikan.
Saranan DHRRA Malaysia adalah supaya kes-kes seperti ini diberi sedikit kelonggaran. Jika tidak, generasi demi generasi keluarga itu akan kekal tanpa dokumen pengenalan diri dan tanpa kewarganegaraan. Misalnya, individu yang disahkan “negara asal: Malaysia” tetapi hanya diberi taraf “pemastautin tetap”.
“Kami mencadangkan supaya mereka yang lahir di Malaysia, ibu bapa mereka juga orang Malaysia, dan mereka tidak mempunyai sebarang kerakyatan lain, maka harus diberi kewarganegaraan secara automatik mengikut peruntukan Perlembagaan,” katanya.
Maklumat lanjut mengenai DHRRA Malaysia boleh diakses di laman web www.dhrramalaysia.org.my atau talian 03-78747680.
Peneroka India Felda turut syukuri bantuan k’jaan
Kerajaan bercadang menaik taraf dua kuil (di Felda Sungai Tengi) sedia ada dalam masa terdekat bagi memberi keselesaan kepada penganut Hindu beribadat.
Oleh S. Kisho
HULU SELANGOR: Manfaat menjadi peneroka Felda bukan sahaja dinikmati kaum Melayu bumiputera tetapi juga segelintir keturunan India yang bersyukur dengan pelbagai bantuan dan imbuhan yang diberi kerajaan.
Bagi M. Letchumy, 72, dari Felda Sungai Tengi di sini, beliau mahu menghabiskan sisa hidupnya di kawasan Felda itu sekalipun kesemua anaknya yang bekerja di luar, mendesak beliau tinggal bersama mereka.
“Semua kemudahan ada di sini, kenapa saya perlu tinggal di luar?
“Kawan-kawan saya semua di sini. Lagi pun sekarang kerajaan memberikan pelbagai insentif kepada penduduk Felda, macam mana saya nak tinggalkan kawasan ini? Saya akan tetap tinggal di sini sampai ke akhir hayat,” katanya kepada Bernama selepas menerima agihan ‘durian runtuh’ fasa kedua untuk isteri peneroka, baru-baru ini.
Katanya, pihak pengurusan Felda dan penduduk di situ saling membantu dan menjaga kebajikan serta keperluannya, lebih-lebih lagi mereka yang tahu beliau tinggal berseorangan.
Letchumy berkata sejak menetap di situ pada 1973, hatinya sudah terpaut dengan keharmonian masyarakat dan keindahan bumi bertuah yang banyak membantunya dan suami menyara membesarkan anak-anak.
Sebanyak 1,900 isteri peneroka menerima bayaran RM5,000 seorang pada majlis itu termasuk sembilan berketurunan India.
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak pada Mei lepas mengumumkan durian runtuh kepada peneroka berjumlah RM1.689 bilion untuk diagihkan kepada 112,635 keluarga peneroka di seluruh negara sempena penyenaraian Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGV) di Bursa Malaysia.
Pemberian durian runtuh berjumlah RM15,000 itu dilakukan dalam tiga fasa iaitu RM5,000 bagi setiap fasa meliputi ketua keluarga, isteri peneroka dan generasi kedua Felda.
Baru-baru ini Najib mengumumkan 103,597 peneroka atau 91.9 peratus yang bersama Felda akan menerima duit raya RM400 seorang melibatkan peruntukan berjumlah RM41.4 juta, manakala 9,038 orang atau 8.02 peratus peneroka yang tidak bersama Felda masing-masing menerima RM200 melibatkan peruntukan berjumlah RM1.8 juta.
Mengulas lanjut, Letchumy berkata sejak Najib meneraju negara, pemimpin negara itu mengotakan janjinya bertepatan dengan slogan ‘rakyat didahulukan, pencapaian diutamakan’
Kerajaan prihatin
Bagi peneroka P.Muthaiah, 65, semua itu membuktikan keprihatinan kerajaan terhadap golongan peneroka dan perhatian yang diberikan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) itu juga berjaya mengubah persepsi saudara-maranya terhadap kerjaya beliau.
“Dulu, lebih kurang 20 atau 30 tahun lepas, saudara-mara kami tak nak datang melawat kami sebab mereka kata kami semua tinggal di hutan. Tempat itu jauh dan tak ada kemudahan.
“Tapi sekarang selepas banyak bantuan dan kemudahan disediakan, mereka mula datang melawat kami dan kami juga mudah untuk keluar melawat mereka,” katanya.
Katanya pada peringkat awal penyertaan pada 1972, beliau mengharungi kesukaran untuk menyara isteri dan enam anak dengan pendapatan bulanan sebanyak RM60.
“Tiada kemudahan yang disediakan pada masa itu, nak pergi ke pekan pun kena fikir dua kali. Begitu susah kehidupan kami dulu,” katanya.
Kini kata Muthaiah, banyak pembangunan pesat berlaku di kawasan itu berbanding zaman 1970-an dan jalan yang dahulunya bertanah merah sudah berganti jalan berturap tar yang selesa.
“Kalau nak pergi ke kawasan bandar raya, sekarang kami ada Lebuhraya Karak. Kemudahan perubatan juga disediakan di sini… jadi hidup kami di sini semakin senang berbanding dulu. Terima kasihlah kepada Datuk Najib,” katanya.
Bagi Anggota Parlimen Hulu Selangor P. Kamalanathan pula berkata kerajaan mempunyai pelbagai pelan pembangunan bagi meringankan beban dan meningkatkan lagi keselesaan hidup peneroka Felda yang tinggal di kawasan pedalaman.
“Buat masa ini kami sedang berusaha untuk mengatur lebih banyak pengangkutan awam ke kawasan ini kerana jika dilihat sekarang, kekerapan bas keluar masuk adalah hanya sejam sekali,” katanya.
Katanya, bagi peneroka keturunan India pula, kerajaan bercadang menaik taraf dua kuil sedia ada dalam masa terdekat bagi memberi keselesaan kepada penganut Hindu beribadat.
Oleh S. KishoHULU SELANGOR: Manfaat menjadi peneroka Felda bukan sahaja dinikmati kaum Melayu bumiputera tetapi juga segelintir keturunan India yang bersyukur dengan pelbagai bantuan dan imbuhan yang diberi kerajaan.
Bagi M. Letchumy, 72, dari Felda Sungai Tengi di sini, beliau mahu menghabiskan sisa hidupnya di kawasan Felda itu sekalipun kesemua anaknya yang bekerja di luar, mendesak beliau tinggal bersama mereka.
“Semua kemudahan ada di sini, kenapa saya perlu tinggal di luar?
“Kawan-kawan saya semua di sini. Lagi pun sekarang kerajaan memberikan pelbagai insentif kepada penduduk Felda, macam mana saya nak tinggalkan kawasan ini? Saya akan tetap tinggal di sini sampai ke akhir hayat,” katanya kepada Bernama selepas menerima agihan ‘durian runtuh’ fasa kedua untuk isteri peneroka, baru-baru ini.
Katanya, pihak pengurusan Felda dan penduduk di situ saling membantu dan menjaga kebajikan serta keperluannya, lebih-lebih lagi mereka yang tahu beliau tinggal berseorangan.
Letchumy berkata sejak menetap di situ pada 1973, hatinya sudah terpaut dengan keharmonian masyarakat dan keindahan bumi bertuah yang banyak membantunya dan suami menyara membesarkan anak-anak.
Sebanyak 1,900 isteri peneroka menerima bayaran RM5,000 seorang pada majlis itu termasuk sembilan berketurunan India.
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak pada Mei lepas mengumumkan durian runtuh kepada peneroka berjumlah RM1.689 bilion untuk diagihkan kepada 112,635 keluarga peneroka di seluruh negara sempena penyenaraian Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGV) di Bursa Malaysia.
Pemberian durian runtuh berjumlah RM15,000 itu dilakukan dalam tiga fasa iaitu RM5,000 bagi setiap fasa meliputi ketua keluarga, isteri peneroka dan generasi kedua Felda.
Baru-baru ini Najib mengumumkan 103,597 peneroka atau 91.9 peratus yang bersama Felda akan menerima duit raya RM400 seorang melibatkan peruntukan berjumlah RM41.4 juta, manakala 9,038 orang atau 8.02 peratus peneroka yang tidak bersama Felda masing-masing menerima RM200 melibatkan peruntukan berjumlah RM1.8 juta.
Mengulas lanjut, Letchumy berkata sejak Najib meneraju negara, pemimpin negara itu mengotakan janjinya bertepatan dengan slogan ‘rakyat didahulukan, pencapaian diutamakan’
Kerajaan prihatin
Bagi peneroka P.Muthaiah, 65, semua itu membuktikan keprihatinan kerajaan terhadap golongan peneroka dan perhatian yang diberikan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) itu juga berjaya mengubah persepsi saudara-maranya terhadap kerjaya beliau.
“Dulu, lebih kurang 20 atau 30 tahun lepas, saudara-mara kami tak nak datang melawat kami sebab mereka kata kami semua tinggal di hutan. Tempat itu jauh dan tak ada kemudahan.
“Tapi sekarang selepas banyak bantuan dan kemudahan disediakan, mereka mula datang melawat kami dan kami juga mudah untuk keluar melawat mereka,” katanya.
Katanya pada peringkat awal penyertaan pada 1972, beliau mengharungi kesukaran untuk menyara isteri dan enam anak dengan pendapatan bulanan sebanyak RM60.
“Tiada kemudahan yang disediakan pada masa itu, nak pergi ke pekan pun kena fikir dua kali. Begitu susah kehidupan kami dulu,” katanya.
Kini kata Muthaiah, banyak pembangunan pesat berlaku di kawasan itu berbanding zaman 1970-an dan jalan yang dahulunya bertanah merah sudah berganti jalan berturap tar yang selesa.
“Kalau nak pergi ke kawasan bandar raya, sekarang kami ada Lebuhraya Karak. Kemudahan perubatan juga disediakan di sini… jadi hidup kami di sini semakin senang berbanding dulu. Terima kasihlah kepada Datuk Najib,” katanya.
Bagi Anggota Parlimen Hulu Selangor P. Kamalanathan pula berkata kerajaan mempunyai pelbagai pelan pembangunan bagi meringankan beban dan meningkatkan lagi keselesaan hidup peneroka Felda yang tinggal di kawasan pedalaman.
“Buat masa ini kami sedang berusaha untuk mengatur lebih banyak pengangkutan awam ke kawasan ini kerana jika dilihat sekarang, kekerapan bas keluar masuk adalah hanya sejam sekali,” katanya.
Katanya, bagi peneroka keturunan India pula, kerajaan bercadang menaik taraf dua kuil sedia ada dalam masa terdekat bagi memberi keselesaan kepada penganut Hindu beribadat.
Three more Sabah politicians to quit BN
Malaysian Digest) - An additional three Sabah politicians are set to leave Barisan Nasional for the opposition. The three, all key members of the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) are expected to join in the footsteps of Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin and Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing, who left the coalition a week ago to become Opposition-friendly politicians.Sources within the party told Malaysian Digest that the individuals are expected to announce their decision soon.
One of the Upko members, claimed the source, is a senior politician and holds a key leadership position within the party.
“These are people who hold crucial positions within Upko. Their departure will throw Upko will create a massive void within the chain of command and throw the leadership structure of Upko into disarray.
“These individuals are also grassroots leaders, which means that Upko’s supporter base will be torn on who they should follow,” claimed the source.
The source claimed that while things have yet to be decided, the names of the three could be announced during an upcoming rally on August 12 in Kota Marudu, which would feature Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Last week, Lajim and Bumburing announced their decision to leave the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to form the Sabah Reform Party, a new entity aligned to Pakatan Rakyat. The new party would supposedly champion the illegal immigrants issue as well as poverty matters in the East Malaysian state.
Recent reports had suggested that BN senator Maijol Mahap, is set to announce his intention to leave the BN. The Upko vice president had been quoted in several Sabah political blogs as saying that he “no longer had faith” in BN.
"I no longer had faith that the BN can or will resolve critical issues in Sabah, such as the issue of illegal immigrants which are long lasting, high poverty rate in Sabah, the elimination of racial KDM (Kadazandusun Murut) from the public service and scholarship awards, the land problems, 5% oil royalty, 'Borneo-nization' and the Cabotage Policy,” he was quoted as saying.
Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok had last week remained cryptic on the resignations and refused to be drawn into discussing who would leave next.
“I don’t know, there is a lot of speculation,” he was quoted as saying. “But this is a free country; you can join any party you like and people will also be joining us at Upko,” he had told the media.
BN has sought to play down the impact of Lajim and Bumburing’s resignations, maintaining that it would not have an effect on the political scenario in Sabah. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak
Najib had on Friday said Lajim and Bumburing’s exits would not affect the date of the coming general election, as had been widely speculated, and added that BN was taking measures to strengthen its presence in Sabah.
He also said that despite rumors that several more would follow in the duo’s footsteps by leaving, BN was more than capable of dealing with the matter.
“We are able to face this challenge and will be taking appropriate steps to remedy the situation and strengthen Umno’s and BN’s position,” he was quoted as saying.
Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had also put up a brave front of the resignations, and said Lajim and Bumburing had left BN to seek higher positions within the Opposition.
He told Mingguan Malaysia yesterday that the duo’s departure would not threaten BN or Umno’s position in the state.
The state BN chief told Mingguan Malaysia in an interview published today that the duo's departure would not threaten Umno or BN's position in the state.
"I think they (Lajim and Bumburing) wanted greater positions than what they had. There are some with big ambitions and surely this is what they would do... this is every individual's right.
"Umno and BN is not threatened. Sabahans are smart enough to gauge who is right,” he was quoted as saying
'Tiada kebebasan punca malapetaka di negara Islam'
Dengan memetik karya terbaru ulama tersohor Yusuf al-Qaradhawi bertajuk 'Kebangkitan Rakyat' yang ditulis selepas kejatuhan regim Hosni Mubarak , Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, punca malapetaka di negara Islam adalah disebabkan oleh tiada kebebasan diberikan kepada rakyatnya.
"Al-Qaradhawi
kata mereka nak kepada Islam, maka kena hormat rakyat di bawah. Ini
tidak, nak kepada Islam, tetapi perangai macam Firaun."Rakyat jangan jadi bodoh, (mesti) merdekakan rakyat. Tidak ada maknanya Islam itu, apabila rakyat tidak ada kebebasan.
"Ini tidak, ada kuasa apa-apa pun boleh buat... Ini yang menyebabkan malapetaka dalam negara Islam," kata Anwar yang juga ketua umum PKR dan bekas presiden Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM).
Dalam buku itu juga, Anwar berkata Al-Qaradawi juga menganggap pihak tertentu yang menyatakan demonstrasi adalah haram disebabkan mereka "tidak membaca sirah Islam".
Jelas
Anwar yang juga ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh, dalam buku itu,
al-Qaradhawi berkata demonstrasi itu dibolehkan sekiranya tujuannya baik
serta untuk kebajikan rakyat."Kalau tujuan itu jahat, maka jadilah jahat, tapi kalau baik, untuk kebajikan boleh," katanya sambil menambah dua sahabat Nabi Muhammad SAW - Umar Al-Khattab dan Saidina Hamzah - pernah berbuat demikian sewaktu peringkat awal Islam dengan membuat demonstrasi berjalan ke Kaabah.
Sebelum itu, Anwar mengimamkan solat Isyak berjamaah di Surau Al-Rasidiyah, Taman Bukit Angkasa, Pantai Dalam serta bertarawih bersama dengan kira-kira 100 penduduk di situ.
Turut hadir dalam majlis tersebut ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai yang juga anak sulungnya Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Sempena
bulan Ramadan ini, Anwar mengajak umat Islam menghayati kandungan
Al-Quran dan mengajar rakyat mencontohi keperibadian Nabi Muhammad SAW
dan nabi terdahulu yang menunjukkan akhlak yang terbaik, gigih dan
memikirkan rakyat bawahan."Contoh terbaik adalah para nabi dan rasul, bukan (seperti hari ini) sekat majlis kita, guna SB sekat kita... Ukurannya bukan kuasa dan kekuatan, tetapi (melihat) kepada budi pekerti.
"(Kita kena) takut kepada Allah, bukan takut hilang projek atau kerusi (DUN atau Parlimen)," katanya.
OIC Keen To Send Mission To Myanmar On Rohingya Muslims
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will ask the Myanmar Government to allow an OIC fact-finding mission to be sent to Myanmar, said OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.
He made the remarks in an OIC statement at the conclusion of the Executive Committee meeting to discuss the Muslim Rohingya issue at the Permanent Representative level at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah over the weekend.
Ihsanoglu has expressed disappointment over the failure of the international community to stop the tyranny and discrimination by the Myanmar Government against the Rohingya Muslims in Arakan, formerly known as Rakhine state.
He suggested looking into the possibility of considering the formation of an Islamic fact-finding committee to seek the best solution to the issue among all parties, including the Myanmar Government, as well as international and regional organisations.
The secretary-general said the indifference of the international community to the rights of the Rohingya people, and fragmentation of the 25 Rohingya organisations, had motivated the largest Muslim organisation to make efforts to unite the organisations at the OIC headquarters in May last year. "OIC has directed its offices at the United Nations in New York to work in coordination with the Member States that are also non-permanent members in the UN Security Council, namely, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo, to urge the Council to look into the suffering of the Rohingya Muslims," he added.
He also urged the OIC Permanent and Independent Human Rights Commission to study the crisis of Myanmar Muslims and its human rights implications during its next session in Turkey at the end of this month.
Meanwhile, Ihsanoglu hoped that Bangladesh could review its position on the Rohingya Muslims, although he understood Bangladesh's position and the sensitivity of the issue.
Violence, which erupted in June, this year, in the Rakhine state between Buddhists and Rohingya, left about 80 people dead on both sides, official figures showed.
Reports said the Myanmar Government's restrictions on humanitarian access to the Rohingya community had left many of the over 100,000 people displaced and in dire need of food, shelter, and medical care.
He made the remarks in an OIC statement at the conclusion of the Executive Committee meeting to discuss the Muslim Rohingya issue at the Permanent Representative level at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah over the weekend.
Ihsanoglu has expressed disappointment over the failure of the international community to stop the tyranny and discrimination by the Myanmar Government against the Rohingya Muslims in Arakan, formerly known as Rakhine state.
He suggested looking into the possibility of considering the formation of an Islamic fact-finding committee to seek the best solution to the issue among all parties, including the Myanmar Government, as well as international and regional organisations.
The secretary-general said the indifference of the international community to the rights of the Rohingya people, and fragmentation of the 25 Rohingya organisations, had motivated the largest Muslim organisation to make efforts to unite the organisations at the OIC headquarters in May last year. "OIC has directed its offices at the United Nations in New York to work in coordination with the Member States that are also non-permanent members in the UN Security Council, namely, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo, to urge the Council to look into the suffering of the Rohingya Muslims," he added.
He also urged the OIC Permanent and Independent Human Rights Commission to study the crisis of Myanmar Muslims and its human rights implications during its next session in Turkey at the end of this month.
Meanwhile, Ihsanoglu hoped that Bangladesh could review its position on the Rohingya Muslims, although he understood Bangladesh's position and the sensitivity of the issue.
Violence, which erupted in June, this year, in the Rakhine state between Buddhists and Rohingya, left about 80 people dead on both sides, official figures showed.
Reports said the Myanmar Government's restrictions on humanitarian access to the Rohingya community had left many of the over 100,000 people displaced and in dire need of food, shelter, and medical care.
Modern, moderate Malaysia moves to criminalize non-Muslims proselytizing among Muslims
Sharia advancing in Malaysia, as it is everywhere else. "Action against non-Muslims for spreading their religion to Muslims," from the Bernama, August 5 (thanks to Nicolei):
YAN, Aug 5 — The Islamic Religious Council in the states can take action against non-Muslims for trying to spread their faith among Muslims in the country.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharum said this can be done based on existing enactments that prohibit non-Muslims from doing so.
"Distribution of reading materials and in the form of audio video is disallowed as it will lead to dissatisfaction of Muslims," he said at Yan Hospital here today.
A newspaper reported that two men believed to be foreign tourists tried to spread Christianity as Muslims were preparing to break their fast in Penang on Thursday.
Jamil said the case of a man who was fined and jailed in Pahang in 2002 for trying to spread his faith to Muslims should serve as a lesson to non-Muslims. — Bernama
YAN, Aug 5 — The Islamic Religious Council in the states can take action against non-Muslims for trying to spread their faith among Muslims in the country.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharum said this can be done based on existing enactments that prohibit non-Muslims from doing so.
"Distribution of reading materials and in the form of audio video is disallowed as it will lead to dissatisfaction of Muslims," he said at Yan Hospital here today.
A newspaper reported that two men believed to be foreign tourists tried to spread Christianity as Muslims were preparing to break their fast in Penang on Thursday.
Jamil said the case of a man who was fined and jailed in Pahang in 2002 for trying to spread his faith to Muslims should serve as a lesson to non-Muslims. — Bernama
Monday, 6 August 2012
Deaths in Sikh temple attack in US
At least seven people, including the shooter, killed in Milwaukee temple attack, police officials say.
At least seven people were killed, including the assailant, when a gunman opened fire at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee, authorities said.
Police were called to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in the suburb of Oak Creek, where witnesses said several dozen people were gathering for a service on Sunday.
Authorities found four people dead inside the temple and two outside, Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt said.
Sunny Singh, 21, of Milwaukee, said a friend pulled into the temple's parking lot, heard shots and saw two people fall down.
The friend then saw the shooter reload his weapons and head to the temple's entrance, Singh said.
Police shoot-out
The first police officer to arrive at the temple engaged in gunfire outside the building with a man police believe was the shooter, Wentlandt said. The suspect was killed, he said.
Tactical units went through the temple, and authorities do not believe a second shooter was involved, Wentlandt said.
It's unclear how many others were wounded. Wentlandt said he had been told the officer who exchanged gunfire with the suspect and another person had been taken to hospitals.
He said the officer was shot multiple times and is in surgery and is expected to survive.
The spokeswoman for the area trauma center said three victims were being treated there, including one who was in surgery.
Jatin Der Mangat, 38, of Racine, the nephew of the temple's president, Satwant Singh Kaleka, said his uncle was one of those shot, but he didn't know how serious his injuries were.
He was among those waiting for news when police announced the deaths.
"It was like the heart just sat down," he said. "This shouldn't happen anywhere."
Sukhwindar Nagr, also of Racine, said he called his brother-in-law's phone and a priest at the temple answered and told him that his brother-in-law had been shot, along with three priests.
The priest also said women and children were hiding in closets in the temple, Nagr said.
Wentlandt did not identify the suspect or say what might have motivated the shootings.
'Mistaken for Muslims'
Sikhism is a monotheistic faith that was founded in South Asia more than 500 years ago. It has roughly 27 million followers worldwide.
Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair; male followers often cover their heads with turbans - which are considered sacred - and refrain from shaving their beards.
There are roughly 500,000 Sikhs in the US, according to estimates. The majority worldwide live in India.
Sikh rights groups have reported a rise in bias attacks since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700 incidents in the US since then, which advocates blame on anti-Islamic sentiment.
Sikhs don't practice the same religion as Muslims, but their long beards and turbans often cause them to be mistaken for Muslims, advocates say.
Source:Al Jazeera And Agencies
Police said seven people were killed and many as 30
people wounded in the suburb of Oak Creek [EPA]
people wounded in the suburb of Oak Creek [EPA]
At least seven people were killed, including the assailant, when a gunman opened fire at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee, authorities said.
Police were called to the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in the suburb of Oak Creek, where witnesses said several dozen people were gathering for a service on Sunday.
Authorities found four people dead inside the temple and two outside, Greenfield Police Chief Bradley Wentlandt said.
Sunny Singh, 21, of Milwaukee, said a friend pulled into the temple's parking lot, heard shots and saw two people fall down.
The friend then saw the shooter reload his weapons and head to the temple's entrance, Singh said.
Police shoot-out
The first police officer to arrive at the temple engaged in gunfire outside the building with a man police believe was the shooter, Wentlandt said. The suspect was killed, he said.
Tactical units went through the temple, and authorities do not believe a second shooter was involved, Wentlandt said.
It's unclear how many others were wounded. Wentlandt said he had been told the officer who exchanged gunfire with the suspect and another person had been taken to hospitals.
He said the officer was shot multiple times and is in surgery and is expected to survive.
The spokeswoman for the area trauma center said three victims were being treated there, including one who was in surgery.
Jatin Der Mangat, 38, of Racine, the nephew of the temple's president, Satwant Singh Kaleka, said his uncle was one of those shot, but he didn't know how serious his injuries were.
He was among those waiting for news when police announced the deaths.
"It was like the heart just sat down," he said. "This shouldn't happen anywhere."
Sukhwindar Nagr, also of Racine, said he called his brother-in-law's phone and a priest at the temple answered and told him that his brother-in-law had been shot, along with three priests.
The priest also said women and children were hiding in closets in the temple, Nagr said.
Wentlandt did not identify the suspect or say what might have motivated the shootings.
'Mistaken for Muslims'
Sikhism is a monotheistic faith that was founded in South Asia more than 500 years ago. It has roughly 27 million followers worldwide.
Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair; male followers often cover their heads with turbans - which are considered sacred - and refrain from shaving their beards.
There are roughly 500,000 Sikhs in the US, according to estimates. The majority worldwide live in India.
Sikh rights groups have reported a rise in bias attacks since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700 incidents in the US since then, which advocates blame on anti-Islamic sentiment.
Sikhs don't practice the same religion as Muslims, but their long beards and turbans often cause them to be mistaken for Muslims, advocates say.
Source:Al Jazeera And Agencies
Sunday, 5 August 2012
Makkal Sakti: Indians' support for BN has risen to 80pct
The Indian community's support for Barisan Nasional (BN) has risen to
nearly 80 percent following the BN government under the leadership of
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak always taking measures to improve the
lot of the community, besides ensuring peace and prosperity in the
country.
Makkal Sakti Party president RS Thanenthiran said the Indian community had largely returned their trust in the BN government as it had fulfilled the promises it made to the people, including solving problems faced by the Indian commmunity.
“The prime minister has given importance to winning back the support of the Indian community by taking various measures such as increasing the number of Tamil schools and upgrading the existing ones, while no Hindu temple will be demolished but the temples are getting tens of thousands on ringgit in aid instead.”
Thanenthiran said this to reporters after the opening of Makkal Sakti's 4th annual general meeting in Lumut today.
Also present were Perak Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir who announced a RM100,000 allocation for the party to prepare for the coming 13th general election campaign.
Thanenthiran said the opposition, on the other hand, was trying to divide the Indians and was also only good at making empty promises.
“Pakatan Rakyat had promised to give seven cabinet ministerial posts to Indians (if it captures Putrajaya), but if you look at the Selangor government now, it only has one Indian exco member. I think the Indian community wont' fall for the opposition's empty promises any more,” he added.
Asked about the party's effort to get more Indians to register as voters, he said the party had worked hard including conveying BN's message to the grassroots.
He said Makkal Sakti's membership had now reached more then 100,000 and the party would strive at getting BN to look into the requests made by the Indian community pertaining to economy and education.
He also hoped that the Indians themselves undertake transformation such as getting employed or better jobs to reduce poverty in the community.
- Bernama
Makkal Sakti Party president RS Thanenthiran said the Indian community had largely returned their trust in the BN government as it had fulfilled the promises it made to the people, including solving problems faced by the Indian commmunity.
“The prime minister has given importance to winning back the support of the Indian community by taking various measures such as increasing the number of Tamil schools and upgrading the existing ones, while no Hindu temple will be demolished but the temples are getting tens of thousands on ringgit in aid instead.”
Thanenthiran said this to reporters after the opening of Makkal Sakti's 4th annual general meeting in Lumut today.
Also present were Perak Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir who announced a RM100,000 allocation for the party to prepare for the coming 13th general election campaign.
Thanenthiran said the opposition, on the other hand, was trying to divide the Indians and was also only good at making empty promises.
“Pakatan Rakyat had promised to give seven cabinet ministerial posts to Indians (if it captures Putrajaya), but if you look at the Selangor government now, it only has one Indian exco member. I think the Indian community wont' fall for the opposition's empty promises any more,” he added.
Asked about the party's effort to get more Indians to register as voters, he said the party had worked hard including conveying BN's message to the grassroots.
He said Makkal Sakti's membership had now reached more then 100,000 and the party would strive at getting BN to look into the requests made by the Indian community pertaining to economy and education.
He also hoped that the Indians themselves undertake transformation such as getting employed or better jobs to reduce poverty in the community.
- Bernama
Assam Crisis, Bangladeshi Influx, Muslim Politics, Jihadi Militancy and Satra Encroachment.
United Muslim National Army behind clashes in Assam : BLT Leader.
5548 Bighas of religious land of 26 Satra (Vaishnava Prayer Complex) in Assam encroached by Muslim migrants: Report.
Assam in an Islamic deadline?
04 Aug 2012 | Guwahati :: Everybody
blame on situation. Nobody finds the truth. A neo Islamic invasion in
various forms captures Assam day by day to establish a Kashmir in this
north eastern state in India. Islamic politics, Muslim appeasement,
Bangladeshi Influx, Jihadi Militancy and Satra Encroachment all are put
in the bed o Assam to destabilize the land under a definite Islamic
design.
Through a breakthrough revelation it is found that Newly formed United Muslim National Army (UMNA) might be behind the ethnic clashes in Bodoland
Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD) in lower Assam that claimed
56 lives, thousand injured and lakhs of people displaced recently. The
former militant outfit Bodoland Liberation Tigers(BLT) alleged this new
theory on Wednesday over the recent Indigenous Assam (Bodo) people vs
the illegal Muslim migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.
Jonomohan Mushahary, chairman of the now defunct BLT Welfare Society,
alleged that UMNA was created in June 15 this year and was behind last
month’s violence with support from All Assam Minority Students’ Union
(AAMSU)and All Bodoland Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU).
UMNA, he claimed, is headed by policeman
Ramjan Islam alias Mohibul Islam alias Ratul who was planning to
destabilize BTAD and form a ‘Muslim Land’ including 13 districts of
Assam upto Golaghat.
Mushahary urged the government to
maintain a strict watch over the activities of AAMSU and ABMSU and asked
all organisations to strive for permanent peace in BTAD. He also warned
political leaders not to play politics on this sensitive issue.
He demanded immediate update of the
National Register of Citizens with March 25, 1971 as cut-off date
and
early distribution of land deeds so that the rehabilitation of the
people could be done on its basis.`
He also urged the government to probe the
statement by pro-talk ULFA leader Mrinal Hazarika that a boat carrying
arms had crossed the Brahmaputra river from Bangaldesh.
”Hazarika said two more boats are on the way. The government must investigate this. It is a serious matter”, he added.
After the clash when the indigenous Bodo
people gallantly defused the Islamic conspiracy to encroach Bodo
dominated lands, the perfume Barron and All India United Democratic
Front (AIUDF) president Badruddin Ajmal Qasmi demanded to defunct BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council).
As such it is proved that the Muslims of Assam have been helping the
settlement of Bangladeshi Muslims to gave a Muslim majority by any means
even through deploying Muslim rioters upon the peace
loving indigenous Bodo people.
All on a sudden the sympathies of illegal
migrant Muslims from Bangladesh have reached to Assam land to run
relief works with a certain aim to fuel Muslim militant outfits of
Assam. A huge relief fund is being collected to run relidef and
subversive activities by an Muslim Organization named Markazul Ma’arif Education and Research Centre at Palton Road, Opp Crawford Market, Mumbai-400 001 and Main Road, Hojai, PIN – 782435.
Notorious MIM (Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen) president Asaduddin Owaisi
is bound to lead a relief team on Friday (03/08/2012) to Assam which
has recently witnessed unprecedented violence and dislocation of lakhs
of people. Owaisi along with a team of 11 doctors and two paramedics
will visit Dhubri district in Assam.
“Within five days of intense violence over 4.5 lakh people were displaced.
The official death toll was about 50. While the relief workers still
can’t reach refugee camps, the affected people in Assam need every
possible help to overcome their sufferings,” Owaisi told TOI adding that he had visited the ethnic violence-hit state recently.
On his return to Hyderabad he announced Rs. 1.25 crore worth of relief
material for the affected people. He also met Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh along with Badruddin Ajmal, MP and president of the All India United Democratic Front in Assam
and briefed him about the conditions of the affected population. “The
people of Assam are going through a rare phase in their history. As a
matter o fact MIM and AIUDF are jointly maneuvering a definite Jihad in
Assam with syphoning a huge amount of money in Assam to help the
subversive Muslim groups.
Both the Ajmal and Owaisi told that the 90% victims are Muslims.
As per statistics there are 9,57,064 voters in total in Kokrajhar and
the total Muslim voters is 1,84,441. The Muslim organisations and the
fundamental Muslim leaders are always referring 3-6 lakhs victims in
recent Kokrajhar riot. Then from where these three to six lakh
population came within the riot prone areas. This question has also been raised by Women Right activist Anjali Daimary, who is the president of Bodo Women Justice Forum (BWJF).
Assam is now under
the claws of Islamic demon. This demon can only be clamped by
a sustainable resurgence of Indigenous spirit of Unity
and Patriotism with Traditional valour of Ahom , Bodo, Kamta people and
so on.
Our Assam correspondent B Paul informed
that the Muslim organisations of Assam have been unified under
an unidentified banner like Assam Muslim Parishad to encroach economic,
political and demographical power from the sons of the soil, i.e. Ahom
people by their nefarious design. Already, 27 districts in Assam, 11 of
them are going to be Muslim majority districts once the 2011 census
figures, religion-wise, are likely to be published by the census
authorities in some days.
In a very cunning manner the traditional Vaishnava Sankirtan Places, Satra lands have been encroached by the illegal Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh under the nose of present Congress Govt. in Assam.
An astounding 5,548 bighas of land
belonging to 26 satras is allegedly under encroachment by illegal
settlers, most of whom comprise Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. There
is also the growing problem of religious aggression by Christian
missionaries who are converting poor, disadvantaged people to
Christianity with promises of a better life and opportunities, they
alleged.
An investigative report on ‘Satra Land Encroachment’
by Northeast Policy Institute (NPI) has found Alipukhuri Patekibori
Than to be the worst affected with 65 bighas, one katha and 12 lecha
under encroachment out of the total land of 76 bighas, three kathas and
two lechas.
The Satra Study Committee, comprising
four members, including chairman of Indian Art History Congress Dr Rabin
Deva Chaudhury, Mukul Chandra Barkakoti and Dr Prafulla Kumar Nath and
Kusum Kumar Mahanta, visited the different satras across the state, took
video recordings, photographs and interviews of satras and satradhikars
to learn the extent of the problem.
Releasing the study report on 13th July,
2012 at Guwahati, Deva Chaudhury said the problem of encroachment of
satra land goes back to the post independence days when people from
erstwhile East Pakistan came to Assam. However, the fact that
encroachment is still a persistent reality is a violation of the
directives of the High Court and the Revenue Board.
Most of the Satra lands have been
encroached for the purpose of settlements of Bangladeshi Muslims,
establishment of Muslim Markets, Mosques and Madrashas. In some places
Govt grants have been utilized for Muslim rehabilitation.
The satras were founded in the 15th century by Saint Sankardeva and his disciples Madhavdeva and subsequently by other Vaishnava gurus to propagate the monotheistic philosophy of neo-Vaishnavism in Assam.
Dhubri Ramrai Kutir Satra’s Satradhikar
(head man), Sri Jitendra Nath Pradhani said a large portion of the land
the government had granted to the satras after India’s independence are
under the control of encroachers who not only stop at grabbing lands
but has also taken to theft, dacoities, rapes, murders and other heinous
crimes. “Several satras like the Ramrai Kuti, Bishnupur, Damodar,
Rangapani, Dharampur in the districts of Goalpara and Dhubri, Samaria,
Suntoli, Goroimari, Koimari, Kolakhuwa, Barpeta, Patbausi, Sundoridia,
Jonia, Bohori satras, Bordowa, Patekibori, Kobaikota, Rampur, Balisatra
in the districts of Nagaon and Morigaon have most of their lands under
encroachment,” he said.
| Name of Satras | Size of encroached land | Name of Districts |
| Bardua Satra | 283 Bighas | Nagaon |
| Bali Satra | 462 Bighas | Nagaon |
| Rampur Satra | 584 Bigha | Morigaon |
| Adi Alengi Satra | 450 Bigha | Lakhimpur |
| Bapupara Satra | 110 Bigha | Goalpara |
| Vishnupur Satra | 161 Bigha | Goalpara |
| Ramrai Kuthi Satra | 1000 Bigha | Dhubri |
| Simalabari Satra | 195 Bigha | Bangaigaon |
| Barpeta Satra | 460 Bigha | Barpeta |
| Kobaikata Satra | 120 Bighas | Nagaon |
| Alipukhuri Satra | 186 Bighas | Morigaon |
Besides,
due to certain apparent ambiguity in the government’s land policy, even
in a place like Majuli, considered as the centre of Vaishnavite
culture, permission has been granted for construction of church.
Added to that, the vote bank politics, indulged in by political parties
is doing great harm to the future of the state’s rich culture and the
Assamese society as a whole.
After Kashmir, Assam may be the second
land where Hindus and indigenous people are waiting for a harrowing
situation through which they have to find new land or refugee camps in
another part of India, certainly not in Assam.
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