Thursday, 19 December 2013
New Video Shows Purported 'Honor Beating' Of Kyrgyz Migrant Woman
Honor beatings are not a term usually associated with Internet videos.But the genre continues to creep onto the web with clips purportedly showing Kyrgyz migrant women in Russia being beaten by their male compatriots for allegedly shaming their nation.
The latest video, which first appeared on December 16 on the Russian-language Bilayv website and has since been posted on YouTube, makes for disturbing viewing.
Filmed by the attackers themselves, it apparently shows a young Kyrgyz woman cowering on the platform of an empty suburban train station in an unidentified Russian city and being kicked repeatedly in the back, stomach, and chest by two unseen men.
The sound accompanying the video is a string of curses and profanity in which the men accuse her of having sexual relations with non-Kyrgyz men, specifically Uzbeks and Tajiks.
Whether the victim knows her attackers is not clear.
From the video, it appears that, before the beating begins, she had been riding on the same train as her attackers and that they had seen her speak to a man of another ethnic origin.
The men accuse her of deliberately ignoring them in order to flirt with foreigners.
"You don't respect Kyrgyz guys, huh?" one of them shouts at one point. "You don't respect Kyrgyz and that's why you sat in the train car in front of us, huh? You saw us Kyrgyz guys and immediately stood up and left, right? You left. If I see you with an Uzbek or a Tajik I'll flatten you, you understand? "
The defenseless and terrified girl, who identifies herself only by the first name Ainagul, repeatedly maintains she is innocent. But by the end of the video she swears she will do as they demand and never again speak to a foreign man.
"No, I would rather die than even ask the way from [an Uzbek or Tajik]," she says. "May my mouth be maimed if I even speak to them, I swear it."
Kyrgyz 'Patriots'
The attack on Ainagul is the latest of several videos to periodically appear in recent years portraying migrant Kyrgyz women being brutally assaulted and humiliated by migrant Kyrgyz men.
In one of the most violent of the filmed attacks, the victim is beaten by her Kyrgyz boyfriend and his companions in a metro station after allegedly texting a non-Kyrgyz male acquaintance. She is then taken to her apartment where her Kyrgyz landlord and his friends join in the filmed assault, choking and beating her.
The victim later told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service that the attack ended with her being raped by one of her assailants. She filed a criminal complaint against her attackers.
In many of the videos, the men assaulting the women have identified themselves as Kyrgyz "patriots" intent on maintaining the honor of the Kyrgyz women they are beating. Whether the groups conduct and post the assaults independently or in an organized fashion remains unknown.
The videos are causing outrage in Kyrgyzstan, where government officials have publicly condemned the attacks as cowardly. But because the attackers conceal their identities and most victims are badly intimidated, the assaults are proving hard to stop.
Ernis Osmonbaev, press officer for the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry, wrote on his Facebook account this week that Bishkek has appealed to Russian authorities to investigate the videos. "We think that Russian law-enforcement agencies will help identify these individuals," he said.
Meanwhile, the videos continue to sow fear among Kyrgyz migrant workers abroad and their families at home.
Some 40 percent of the estimated 600,000 Kyrgyz citizens working in Russia are women, most of whom are unaccompanied by relatives and are highly vulnerable to abuse and sexual exploitation.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
Malaysia should move from cash handout to rights-based programmes, says rights council
BY TRINNA LEONG
The United Nations Human Rights Council today urged Putrajaya to move away from charity-based schemes to rights-based programmes to avoid exclusion of groups, graft and leakages.
Olivier De Schutter, who is the UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur to Malaysia on the right to food, said while cash aid programmes such as Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) and Kebajikan Rakyat 1Malaysia (Karisma) can offer assistance to the needy, it is unsustainable for Malaysia to continue with such schemes.
"The government has put in place some social programmes that are one off programmes that provide cash transfers to poor families but these programmes are not permanent.
"These are not standing social protection schemes and are not based on protecting people by giving them rights that they can claim before independent bodies. As a result people do not know what they have a right to, they cannot complain if they are excluded," said De Schutter, who is on a 10-day mission to the country.
Critics have questioned the BR1M, a government initiative to help lower income families, saying it was used for election purposes by the ruling Barisan Nasional.
In the recent Budget 2014 announcement, Putrajaya increased the aid from RM500 to RM650 for households earning RM3,000 and below, while single individuals aged 21 and above who earn less than RM2,000 would receive RM300.
De Schutter said the aid does not "provide the kind of security the poor should expect from standing social protection schemes such as those recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)".
"So I very much hope the programmes that are in place would be transformed into social protection schemes that would be rights based and I believe Malaysia is now at a stage of development where it can make this shift," he added.
He said rights-based social programmes are those that "benefits so people know exactly what they can expect from the government and can complain if they did not receive what is stipulated for them".
"In the absence of rights-based social programmes, these programmes are just public charities and therefore subject to leakage, to corruption, to discrimination and they do not provide people with the kind of security they have a right to expect. This is why rights-based social programmes are much more effective and a better use of resources to the government."
While De Schutter commended initiatives such as Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia, he said they were not necessarily reaching the poorest segments of the population.
Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia, a government-subsidised retail franchise, was launched in 2011 to offer cheaper groceries. However, criticisms surfaced later over the quality of the products being sold.
The United Nations Human Rights Council today urged Putrajaya to move away from charity-based schemes to rights-based programmes to avoid exclusion of groups, graft and leakages.
Olivier De Schutter, who is the UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur to Malaysia on the right to food, said while cash aid programmes such as Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) and Kebajikan Rakyat 1Malaysia (Karisma) can offer assistance to the needy, it is unsustainable for Malaysia to continue with such schemes.
"The government has put in place some social programmes that are one off programmes that provide cash transfers to poor families but these programmes are not permanent.
"These are not standing social protection schemes and are not based on protecting people by giving them rights that they can claim before independent bodies. As a result people do not know what they have a right to, they cannot complain if they are excluded," said De Schutter, who is on a 10-day mission to the country.
Critics have questioned the BR1M, a government initiative to help lower income families, saying it was used for election purposes by the ruling Barisan Nasional.
In the recent Budget 2014 announcement, Putrajaya increased the aid from RM500 to RM650 for households earning RM3,000 and below, while single individuals aged 21 and above who earn less than RM2,000 would receive RM300.
De Schutter said the aid does not "provide the kind of security the poor should expect from standing social protection schemes such as those recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)".
"So I very much hope the programmes that are in place would be transformed into social protection schemes that would be rights based and I believe Malaysia is now at a stage of development where it can make this shift," he added.
He said rights-based social programmes are those that "benefits so people know exactly what they can expect from the government and can complain if they did not receive what is stipulated for them".
"In the absence of rights-based social programmes, these programmes are just public charities and therefore subject to leakage, to corruption, to discrimination and they do not provide people with the kind of security they have a right to expect. This is why rights-based social programmes are much more effective and a better use of resources to the government."
While De Schutter commended initiatives such as Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia, he said they were not necessarily reaching the poorest segments of the population.
Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia, a government-subsidised retail franchise, was launched in 2011 to offer cheaper groceries. However, criticisms surfaced later over the quality of the products being sold.
Anwar: PM was populist pre-GE, but not now
"He (Najib) is right. After the election he is no longer populist. He was very populist before the election," Anwar told a press conference today at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya.
Anwar was responding to Najib's claim that he would pursue populist policies that were detrimental to the country.
Najib said this following outcry post-general election increase, or impending increase, in charges for fuel, sugar, electricity, property assessment and highway toll fees.
Anwar also dismissed government claims that there was no choice but to cut back on subsidies in order to reduce the government's budget deficit.
Cut government wastage first
The former finance minister said what the government is doing now forcing the public to bear the burden of the government's penchant for extravagance.
"Okay, you can say that doing this takes longer, but what is stopping them from taking drastic action to stop the wastage?
"This is a desperate attempt to bring down the deficit by burdening the rakyat without evidence of rising (household) income.
"You have a choice of getting rid of corruption and leakages prior to taking these measures. You can’t say it will take too long. What is stopping them from starting now?" he asked.
Anwar said that this stand is consistent with what he had told the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1998 when the IMF advised Indonesia to cut subsidies to improve its financial standing.
“The economic problems will only be resolved properly through good governance. Deficit is only one part of it. You can’t trying to tackle a deficit by being oblivious to the stark reality of wastage,” he said at a press conference at the PKR headquarters.
‘Stop buying the drunk guy drinks’
Supporting him, PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli said that the Malaysia does not have the same income challenges as other countries who are running deficits.
“Revenue from petroleum has gone up by 300-400 percent in four to five years, while income and indirect taxes collection have gone up 60 percent in the last four years.
“The problem is our spending... We have been spending excessively even though our income has been enough.
“To
give more money, through the Goods and Services Tax (GST) or toll hike
or other new income for the BN is like giving more alcohol to the drunk.
He’s already drunk, you give him more alcohol, he dies,” he said.Meanwhile, Anwar said Pakatan Rakyat will be running an awareness campaign on the GST, which will be launched on Dec 20.
The campaign includes providing “free courses” on the GST, which will kick in at 6 percent on April 1, 2015, for the public.
“I believe that the implementation of the GST can be halted if the people are united in blocking it...
“I agree that the GST is transparent and efficient but the question is the timing,” he said.
Pakatan has maintained that the GST is regressive and will hurt the poor, who are not paying income tax.
The BN government, however, said it is shielding the poor by exempting essential items from GST and that many consumer goods will be cheaper with GST, which is lower than the existing opaque sales tax.
Najib breaks promise on toll rates
Just seven months after Najib launched the BN general election manifesto, he is doing just the opposite on what he has promised by increasing toll rates.
PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has gone back on his promise he made before the general election and allowed an increase in toll rates on 15 highways.Yesterday Works Minister Fadillah Yusof announced that toll rates would be increased on 15 highways, ranging from 50 sen to RM2 next year.
Barisan Nasional had promised a “gradual reduction of intra-city tolls” before the polls and even listed their own achievements in making the promises.
Before the general election, Najib had abolished the toll plazas in Jalan Kuching, Kajang and Cheras.
The Barisan Nasional also announced that it had reduced the toll rates at the Petaling Jaya Selatan 2 plaza on the New Pantai Expressway and at the Sunway & Kemuning plazas on the Kesas Expressway.
In addition to that, BN also had imposed a five-year freeze on toll rates on the North South Expressway (NSE), NSE Central Link, Linkedua, Butterworth-Kulim Expressway, KL-Karak Expressway and the East Coast Expressway Phase One.
Of the 15 highways, 13 are in the Klang Valley.
Toll charges will be increased on the Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway( AKLEH ), Sprint Expressway, New Pantai Expressway (NPE), SMART Motorway Tunnel, Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (Silk).
Also in the list are Damansara Puchong Expressway (LDP), Kajang-Seremban Highway (Lekas), New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB), Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas), Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya), and Maju Expressway (MEX).
Only two are located outside the Klang Valley – the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) in Penang and the Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE) in Johor.
The government’s decision to allow a toll rate increase has infuriated road users because Barisan had broken its promise not to allow an increase in charges.
Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Wahid Omar had said that the increase was unavoidable because of the condition stated in the agreements between the government and the concession companies.
The condition states that the toll can be increased every five years.
Hindraf: Stop destruction of Kampung Chetti
Kampung Chetti’s historical ambiance will be destroyed by the development of condominium blocks, a hotel and a multi-level car park.
PETALING JAYA: Indian-rights group Hindraf has called on Malaccan state authorities to halt the development of two condominium blocks, a hotel and a multi-level car park in Kampung Chetti, a village gazetted as a national heritage site in 2002.
Kampung Chetti dates back to 1414 – almost a hundred years before the Portugese invasion.
But like the now-destroyed temples of Lembah Bujang, the historical village’s tranquil atmosphere will be shattered by the construction, Hindraf chairman Waythamoorthy said.
“We have received complaints that there is great possibility of causing environmental effects on the conserved surrounding green plush area as well as the possibility of causing damage into the structures of the said temples as well as the residences’ premises with the probability of losing its originality,” the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said in a statement today.
“Hindraf is very disappointed that such attempts to destroy and demolish the ambiance and the surrounding of historical sites within Malaysia seems to be going unabated under the very nose of the Malacca state government and the National Heritage Department.”
According to Hindraf, the construction site is located between the residential area of the village and the Muthu Mariamman temple, which was built in 1827.
Waythamoorthy noted that former Malacca Menteri Besar Mohd Ali Rustam had previously intervened in the development, and the District and Land Office of Melaka Tengah had subsequently issued a notice under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 in January 2013.
But the developers apparently paid no heed to the notice as the construction remains ongoing in the area, said Waythamoorthy.
“What is puzzling is what happened to the Special Area Conservation Management plan involving City Council of Malacca, Malacca State Town & County planning Department, Muzium Corporation of Malacca & National Heritage Department and how the development was approved by the Malacca state government.
“Once again the Heritage Commissioner is silent as he did at the Bujang Valley site,” said Waythamoorthy.
He urged the agencies to “get their act together”, pointing out that their inertia revealed their lack of responsibility and accountability in protecting the nation’s natural heritage.
PETALING JAYA: Indian-rights group Hindraf has called on Malaccan state authorities to halt the development of two condominium blocks, a hotel and a multi-level car park in Kampung Chetti, a village gazetted as a national heritage site in 2002.Kampung Chetti dates back to 1414 – almost a hundred years before the Portugese invasion.
But like the now-destroyed temples of Lembah Bujang, the historical village’s tranquil atmosphere will be shattered by the construction, Hindraf chairman Waythamoorthy said.
“We have received complaints that there is great possibility of causing environmental effects on the conserved surrounding green plush area as well as the possibility of causing damage into the structures of the said temples as well as the residences’ premises with the probability of losing its originality,” the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said in a statement today.
“Hindraf is very disappointed that such attempts to destroy and demolish the ambiance and the surrounding of historical sites within Malaysia seems to be going unabated under the very nose of the Malacca state government and the National Heritage Department.”
According to Hindraf, the construction site is located between the residential area of the village and the Muthu Mariamman temple, which was built in 1827.
Waythamoorthy noted that former Malacca Menteri Besar Mohd Ali Rustam had previously intervened in the development, and the District and Land Office of Melaka Tengah had subsequently issued a notice under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 in January 2013.
But the developers apparently paid no heed to the notice as the construction remains ongoing in the area, said Waythamoorthy.
“What is puzzling is what happened to the Special Area Conservation Management plan involving City Council of Malacca, Malacca State Town & County planning Department, Muzium Corporation of Malacca & National Heritage Department and how the development was approved by the Malacca state government.
“Once again the Heritage Commissioner is silent as he did at the Bujang Valley site,” said Waythamoorthy.
He urged the agencies to “get their act together”, pointing out that their inertia revealed their lack of responsibility and accountability in protecting the nation’s natural heritage.
Don’t act beyond your powers, ROS told
DAP's Gobind Singh wants the Registrar of Societies' to explain which law gave it the power not to recognise the party's newly elected members
PETALING JAYA: Gobind Singh Deo questioned how the Registrar of Societies (ROS) is empowered to derecognise the newly elected central executive committee (CEC) of his party.
The DAP’s national legal bureau chairman and Puchong MP wants the ROS to explain which law gives ROS the power not to recognise the CEC.
“Needless to say, this is a position most serious in nature which cannot and must not be taken lightly. It has very far reaching consequences upon the DAP.
“The ROS cannot and must not act beyond the powers conferred upon it in law and any such attempt to so do would be unlawful and not binding in law,” said Gobind.
The ROS recenty requested additional documents to recognise the party’s central executive committee (CEC) election that was conducted on Sept 29.
The ROS, in a letter dated Dec 6, also advised the CEC to stop making decisions on behalf of DAP until the ROS completes the investigation.
The letter was sent to DAP a month after it submitted its re-election results which was held on Sept 29 to ROS which ordered the party to hold re-election following complaints of election irregularities.
Court action
Gobind also denied that his party had sent a very brief report that made it impossible for the ROS to ascertain whether the Sept 29 re-election was in accordance with the ROS directive.
The Sept 29 re-election was conducted after ROS did not recognise its party polls that was conducted on Dec 15, 2012.
“The report sent to the ROS in its usual format, which is the same used for such reports by the DAP and accepted by the ROS in previous years.
“As such, there is no basis for the ROS to say the report is too brief,” he said.
He has also requested the ROS to furnish the party with complaints that the ROS received on the election on Sept 29.
“The DAP is entitled to know who complained in respect of the re-election and what the basis of the complaint is.
“The DAP is entitled to a right to respond to any such complaint and the ROS must consider this explanation before making any decision which would impact the DAP,” he said.
Gobind also said that the party would not hesitate to seek court intervention if the ROS does not explain the legality of ROS’ demands.
PETALING JAYA: Gobind Singh Deo questioned how the Registrar of Societies (ROS) is empowered to derecognise the newly elected central executive committee (CEC) of his party.The DAP’s national legal bureau chairman and Puchong MP wants the ROS to explain which law gives ROS the power not to recognise the CEC.
“Needless to say, this is a position most serious in nature which cannot and must not be taken lightly. It has very far reaching consequences upon the DAP.
“The ROS cannot and must not act beyond the powers conferred upon it in law and any such attempt to so do would be unlawful and not binding in law,” said Gobind.
The ROS recenty requested additional documents to recognise the party’s central executive committee (CEC) election that was conducted on Sept 29.
The ROS, in a letter dated Dec 6, also advised the CEC to stop making decisions on behalf of DAP until the ROS completes the investigation.
The letter was sent to DAP a month after it submitted its re-election results which was held on Sept 29 to ROS which ordered the party to hold re-election following complaints of election irregularities.
Court action
Gobind also denied that his party had sent a very brief report that made it impossible for the ROS to ascertain whether the Sept 29 re-election was in accordance with the ROS directive.
The Sept 29 re-election was conducted after ROS did not recognise its party polls that was conducted on Dec 15, 2012.
“The report sent to the ROS in its usual format, which is the same used for such reports by the DAP and accepted by the ROS in previous years.
“As such, there is no basis for the ROS to say the report is too brief,” he said.
He has also requested the ROS to furnish the party with complaints that the ROS received on the election on Sept 29.
“The DAP is entitled to know who complained in respect of the re-election and what the basis of the complaint is.
“The DAP is entitled to a right to respond to any such complaint and the ROS must consider this explanation before making any decision which would impact the DAP,” he said.
Gobind also said that the party would not hesitate to seek court intervention if the ROS does not explain the legality of ROS’ demands.
Sumber pendapatan Orang Asal diancam dengan penerokaan kuari
Inilah sumber pendapatan kami yang utama. Tetapi atas penerokaan kuari di atas bukit, habis tanaman kami telah dimusnahkan
SEREMBAN: Ekoran penerokaan kuari oleh sebuah syarikat berhampiran dengan sebuah perkampungan Orang Asal di Mantin, berdekatan Seremban; sumber pendapatan utama penduduk kampung terbabit kini terancam.Tok Batin Kampung Gebok, Razali Omchum berkata penderitaan 32 keluarga bermula lebih kurang dua bulan lepas apabila sebuah syarikat telah mula menebang atau memusnahkan tanaman penduduk di sebuah bukit, di belakang kawasan perkampungan mereka.
“Saya difahamkan syarikat itu akan memulakan operasi kuari dan kini kerja-kerja awal seperti membersihkan kawasan dan tapak telah dilakukan.
“Kampung Gebok ini wujud sejak berpuluh-puluh tahun dulu sebelum merdeka. Ini tempat asal kami dan nenek moyang kami.
“Kebanyakan penduduk kampung mencari pendapatan di sini dengan menoreh dan menjual getah serta menjual pelbagai buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran seperti durian, nangka, petai dan jering.
“Inilah sumber pendapatan kami yang utama. Tetapi atas penerokaan kuari di atas bukit, habis tanaman kami telah dimusnahkan. Kami tidak ada hasil pendapatan kerana sumber perdapatan kami telah dimusnahkan atas alasan ingin membuka kuari,” kata Razali.
Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri, J Arulkumar (DAP) berkata beliau telah membuat aduan dengan Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) Negeri Sembilan dan pihak JAS telah datang ke Kampung Gebok untuk melakukan siasatan pada 11 Disember lalu.
“Dalam surat jawapan bertarikh 12 Disember yang diberikan oleh Pengarah JAS Negeri Sembilan, Charanpal Singh kepad saya: beliau berkata setelah pihaknya menjalankan siasatan, aduan tersebut berasas dimana kerja-kerja tanah telah dimulakan dan tanah yang ditolak dari atas bukit telah mula jatuh ke bawah dan menghasilkan pencemaran habuk.
“Ianya juga menjejaskan kesihatan penduduk Kampung Gebok. Dalam pada itu tapak sempadan cadangan kuari adalah 100 meter sahaja dari sempadan Kampung Gebok. Aktiviti yang dijalankan berpotensi tinggi untuk menjejaskan kesihatan, keselamatan dan kesejahteraan penduduk.
“Surat jawapan Charanpal juga menyentuh bahawa JAS amat prihatin dengan isu pencemaran udara, gegaran, air dan bunyi bising yang akan terhasil dari kewujudan satu lagi kuari di kawasan yang sangat berhampiran dengan penempatan penduduk.
“JAS Negeri Sembilan juga telah memaklum kepada pihak berkuasa tempatan bahawa tapak projek kuari yang dicadangkan adalah tidak sesuai dan JAS tidak menyokongnya,” jelas Arulkumar.
Arulkumar meminta Pejabat Tanah dan Daerah Seremban serta Majlis Perbandaran Nilai membatalkan segera cadangan mewujudkan sebuah operasi kuari di sini kerana mengundang pelbagai masalah kepada lebih 120 penduduk kampung ini.
Ahli Parlimen Seremban, Loke Siew Fook (DAP) meminta Pegawai Daerah Seremban bagi pihak Pejabat Tanah dan Daerah Seremban memberikan penjelasan apakah kuari yang bakal beroperasi ini mempunyai permit atau tidak.
“Kita mahu tahu apakah Pejabat Tanah dan Daerah Seremban memberikan permit kepada syarikat ini untuk menjalankan operasi kuari. Jika keluarkan permit, persoalannya bagaimana boleh diberi permit (kelulusan) tanpa sokongan JAS?
“Saya mohon Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan, Mohamad Hasan segera arahkan Pegawai Daerah Seremban memberikan laporan lengkap.
“Jika tiada sebarang tindakan dalam masa dua minggu ini, beliau bersama-sama penduduk kampung Orang Asal tersebut akan mengadakan bantahan di hadapan pejabat Menteri Besar,” ujar Loke.
Ops Cantas berjaya kurangkan jenayah berat
Khalid dan pasukannya sehingga November lepas berjaya menahan 36,316 orang dan merampas 951 senjata api.
KUALA LUMPUR: Operasi Cantas atau Ops Cantas cetusan idea Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar untuk menahan penjenayah dan anggota kongsi gelap, berjaya mengurangkan jenayah kekerasan seperti bunuh dan cubaan bunuh menggunakan senjata api di negara ini.
Biarpun baru tujuh bulan menerajui Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) sejak 17 Mei lalu menggantikan Tan Sri Ismail Omar, Khalid dan pasukannya sehingga November lepas berjaya menahan 36,316 orang dan merampas 951 senjata api.
Malah pada persidangan Dewan Rakyat 20 Nov lepas, Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar berkata jenayah kekerasan itu menurun hampir 23 peratus daripada 187 kes kepada 144 kes dalam tempoh 96 hari Ops Cantas dijalankan.
Ops Cantas diadakan rentetan penghapusan undang-undang Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) dan Ordinan Darurat (OE) pada 2012, yang menyaksikan peningkatan jenayah kekerasan menggunakan senjata api, hingga merekodkan 66 kes
di seluruh negara pada tahun ini.
Daripada jumlah itu, sebanyak 35 kes daripadanya menyebabkan sasaran atau mangsa kejadian tembakan itu, mati ditembak di tempat kejadian.
Antara kes jenayah yang berprofil tinggi pada 2013, ialah pembunuhan Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Kastam (Perkastaman/Cukai Dalam Negeri) Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim, 58, pada 26 April, yang ditembak mati ketika dalam perjalanan ke pejabatnya di Putrajaya.
Sehingga kini polis belum membuat sebarang tangkapan berkaitan kes itu. ditembak ketika keluar dari sebuah tokong di Lorong Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur.
Susulan itu, pada 22 Sept, suspek utama kes berkenaan ditahan bersama-sama dua rakannya dalam serbuan di sebuah rumah di Taiping, Perak, dan pada 3 Okt, dia dihadapkan di Mahkamah Majistret atas tuduhan membunuh.
Polis kini memburu Lim Yuen Soo, 53, beralamat terakhir di No. 9, Jalan Bayu Segar 3, Bayu Segar, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, yang merupakan majikan suspek utama kes itu dan dia dipercayai melarikan diri ke Australia selepas pembunuhan itu.
Menyayat hati
Lebih menyayat hati, pada 23 Okt, seorang pegawai operasi Ambank Norazita Abu Talib, 37, maut ditembak di muka oleh seorang pengawal keselamatan cawangan bank itu di Subang Jaya. Lelaki itu turut melarikan wang tunai
RM450,000.
Dua puluh hari selepas kejadian itu, pada 11 Nov, PDRM berjaya menyelesaikan kes berkenaan setelah suspek utama kes diberkas di Kampung Belungkor, Kota Tinggi, Johor dan kini polis memburu rakan suspek yang dikenali sebagai ‘Joemar’.
Ketua Penguatkuasa Jabatan Agama Islam Pahang (Jaip) Mohd Raffli Ab Malik, 49, turut maut ditembak di hadapan rumahnya di Indera Mahkota 2, Kuantan, Pahang pada 10 Nov, berkaitan dengan kes ajaran sesat ‘Tuhan Harun’.
Pada 20 Nov, polis menahan ketua kumpulan ajaran sesat itu, Harun Mat Saat dan dua pengikutnya di Tangkak, Johor.
Ekoran peningkatan kes jenayah, kerajaan telah meluluskan Rang Undang-undang Pencegahan Jenayah (Pindaan dan Pemerluasan) 2013 pada 10 Okt, bagi membenarkan penahanan tanpa perbicaraan untuk tujuan ketenteraman awam, keselamatan awam atau pencegahan jenayah.
Sebagai memperkukuh iltizam membanteras jenayah, 25 Okt lalu, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak memperuntukkan RM8.8 bilion kepada PDRM dalam pembentangan Bajet 2014.
Antaranya, peruntukan sebanyak RM200 juta untuk senjata api, jaket kalis peluru, alat pengesan narkotik, sistem biometrik dan kenderaan forensik.
Polis juga akan mendapat 496 bilangan kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) di 25 kawasan Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT) dengan peruntukan RM20 juta dan pembinaan serta menaik taraf ibu pejabat polis di seluruh negara dengan peruntukan RM128 juta.
PDRM turut menggerakkan inisiatif termasuk menubuhkan Jabatan Pencegahan dan Pembanterasan Jenayah (JPPJ) di Bukit Aman serta cawangannya di ibu pejabat polis kontinjen negeri dan daerah pada 1 Julai.
Penubuhan jabatan itu bertujuan mencegah jenayah secara lebih berkesan dan sejajar dengan kehendak masyarakat yang mahukan polis berperanan dengan lebih efektif, selain membantu menurunkan indeks jenayah.
Dalam pada itu, Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) akan meminda Akta Fi 1951 supaya kadar denda lebih tinggi dikenakan kepada pemegang MyKad sekiranya berlaku kehilangan kad pengenalan diri berikutan sebanyak 565,157 kad pengenalan Malaysia dilaporkan hilang sehingga 31 Okt tahun ini.
Dr Wan Junaidi tidak menafikan ada kad pengenalan yang hilang itu telah diseleweng dan digunakan oleh pendatang tanpa izin bagi tujuan jenayah serta dijual kepada sindiket.
– BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR: Operasi Cantas atau Ops Cantas cetusan idea Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar untuk menahan penjenayah dan anggota kongsi gelap, berjaya mengurangkan jenayah kekerasan seperti bunuh dan cubaan bunuh menggunakan senjata api di negara ini.Biarpun baru tujuh bulan menerajui Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) sejak 17 Mei lalu menggantikan Tan Sri Ismail Omar, Khalid dan pasukannya sehingga November lepas berjaya menahan 36,316 orang dan merampas 951 senjata api.
Malah pada persidangan Dewan Rakyat 20 Nov lepas, Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar berkata jenayah kekerasan itu menurun hampir 23 peratus daripada 187 kes kepada 144 kes dalam tempoh 96 hari Ops Cantas dijalankan.
Ops Cantas diadakan rentetan penghapusan undang-undang Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) dan Ordinan Darurat (OE) pada 2012, yang menyaksikan peningkatan jenayah kekerasan menggunakan senjata api, hingga merekodkan 66 kes
di seluruh negara pada tahun ini.
Daripada jumlah itu, sebanyak 35 kes daripadanya menyebabkan sasaran atau mangsa kejadian tembakan itu, mati ditembak di tempat kejadian.
Antara kes jenayah yang berprofil tinggi pada 2013, ialah pembunuhan Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Kastam (Perkastaman/Cukai Dalam Negeri) Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim, 58, pada 26 April, yang ditembak mati ketika dalam perjalanan ke pejabatnya di Putrajaya.
Sehingga kini polis belum membuat sebarang tangkapan berkaitan kes itu. ditembak ketika keluar dari sebuah tokong di Lorong Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur.
Susulan itu, pada 22 Sept, suspek utama kes berkenaan ditahan bersama-sama dua rakannya dalam serbuan di sebuah rumah di Taiping, Perak, dan pada 3 Okt, dia dihadapkan di Mahkamah Majistret atas tuduhan membunuh.
Polis kini memburu Lim Yuen Soo, 53, beralamat terakhir di No. 9, Jalan Bayu Segar 3, Bayu Segar, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, yang merupakan majikan suspek utama kes itu dan dia dipercayai melarikan diri ke Australia selepas pembunuhan itu.
Menyayat hati
Lebih menyayat hati, pada 23 Okt, seorang pegawai operasi Ambank Norazita Abu Talib, 37, maut ditembak di muka oleh seorang pengawal keselamatan cawangan bank itu di Subang Jaya. Lelaki itu turut melarikan wang tunai
RM450,000.
Dua puluh hari selepas kejadian itu, pada 11 Nov, PDRM berjaya menyelesaikan kes berkenaan setelah suspek utama kes diberkas di Kampung Belungkor, Kota Tinggi, Johor dan kini polis memburu rakan suspek yang dikenali sebagai ‘Joemar’.
Ketua Penguatkuasa Jabatan Agama Islam Pahang (Jaip) Mohd Raffli Ab Malik, 49, turut maut ditembak di hadapan rumahnya di Indera Mahkota 2, Kuantan, Pahang pada 10 Nov, berkaitan dengan kes ajaran sesat ‘Tuhan Harun’.
Pada 20 Nov, polis menahan ketua kumpulan ajaran sesat itu, Harun Mat Saat dan dua pengikutnya di Tangkak, Johor.
Ekoran peningkatan kes jenayah, kerajaan telah meluluskan Rang Undang-undang Pencegahan Jenayah (Pindaan dan Pemerluasan) 2013 pada 10 Okt, bagi membenarkan penahanan tanpa perbicaraan untuk tujuan ketenteraman awam, keselamatan awam atau pencegahan jenayah.
Sebagai memperkukuh iltizam membanteras jenayah, 25 Okt lalu, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak memperuntukkan RM8.8 bilion kepada PDRM dalam pembentangan Bajet 2014.
Antaranya, peruntukan sebanyak RM200 juta untuk senjata api, jaket kalis peluru, alat pengesan narkotik, sistem biometrik dan kenderaan forensik.
Polis juga akan mendapat 496 bilangan kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) di 25 kawasan Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT) dengan peruntukan RM20 juta dan pembinaan serta menaik taraf ibu pejabat polis di seluruh negara dengan peruntukan RM128 juta.
PDRM turut menggerakkan inisiatif termasuk menubuhkan Jabatan Pencegahan dan Pembanterasan Jenayah (JPPJ) di Bukit Aman serta cawangannya di ibu pejabat polis kontinjen negeri dan daerah pada 1 Julai.
Penubuhan jabatan itu bertujuan mencegah jenayah secara lebih berkesan dan sejajar dengan kehendak masyarakat yang mahukan polis berperanan dengan lebih efektif, selain membantu menurunkan indeks jenayah.
Dalam pada itu, Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) akan meminda Akta Fi 1951 supaya kadar denda lebih tinggi dikenakan kepada pemegang MyKad sekiranya berlaku kehilangan kad pengenalan diri berikutan sebanyak 565,157 kad pengenalan Malaysia dilaporkan hilang sehingga 31 Okt tahun ini.
Dr Wan Junaidi tidak menafikan ada kad pengenalan yang hilang itu telah diseleweng dan digunakan oleh pendatang tanpa izin bagi tujuan jenayah serta dijual kepada sindiket.
– BERNAMA
In sly agreement, Anwar concurs PM no longer populist
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today needled political rival and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by agreeing that the latter has steered clear of populist measures since Election 2013.The opposition leader said Najib’s recent statement that his federal administration did not adopt a populist approach, was correct in view of the recent raft of subsidy cuts and power rate hikes that have left the public up in arms.
“He is right. After the elections, he was no longer populist,” Anwar said at a press conference here.
Yesterday, Najib was reported as saying his administration could not afford to adopt a populist stance without jeopardising the country, and must instead work towards expanding the nation’s economy.
“I can be a prime minister riding on a populist platform but I will destabilise the economy and ruin the future of our beloved country,” he told an auditorium packed with civil servants at the 26th Congress of Unions of Employees (Cuepacs) Triennial Convention here at the PGRM tower.
Anwar said the recent raft of rate hikes announced by Najib was a clear indication that the Barisan Nasional-led government was not interested in keeping to its word.
He accused the government of making countless promises in the run-up to the fractious national polls last May, only to turn its back on the very public that returned them to power.
“Before the GE he was very populist, promising that there would be no rate hikes and many other things, and then his position altered immediately after the elections,” he said.
Anwar noted that the government’s plan to implement the six per cent Goods and Services Tax in 2015 - which will broaden the country’s tax base - fails to address the bigger issue of pubic wastage and illicit outflow of funds.
“They (government) are saying now is the time for GST because it has been deferred too long, but they are not saying they will stop the wastage, illicit outflow of funds or corruption.
“You have a choice, whether to deal with the excesses and wastages prior to implementing the GST, or to implement GST now and burden the people,” he said.
Najib’s administration announced several price hikes recently that have left the public up in arms, after a divisive national polls that saw the BN retain power with a diminished parliamentary majority.
Apart from the GST, the federal government also announced the total removal of sugar subsidies and further reduction of fuel subsidies, a nationwide increase in electricity tariffs and an upward revision of assessment rates for properties in Kuala Lumpur.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/in-sly-agreement-anwar-concurs-pm-no-longer-populist#sthash.jmpeEdlq.dpuf
Muhyiddin’s greatest disservice to nation is his denial that Malaysia has been in throes of education crisis for past decade and making bottom 40 per cent of Malaysian parents and students happy because of the delusion of a “world class” and quality education
By Lim Kit Siang
The greatest disservice to the nation by the Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is his denial that Malaysia has been in the throes of an educational crisis for the past decade and making the bottom 40 per cent of Malaysians parents and students happy because of the delusion of a “world class” and quality education ensuring excellence for all.
In actual fact, educational standards in Malaysia, whether primary, secondary or university, have seriously deteriorated over the past decade.
What the CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), Wan Saiful Wan Jan, said yesterday should be serious food for thought for all Malaysians.
Wan Saiful accused the Barisan Nasional government of taking advantage of the trust given by the poor by creating an “illusion” that the education system in the country has been reformed.
He said that according to a study conducted by his think tank, the bottom 40 per cent of parents of school-going children are generally happy with the quality of schools and teachers in the country when the reality is that their children are struggling by regional and international standards.
Lamenting the wide gap between “perception and reality”, Wan Saiful said these parents seem to have a very positive perception about our schools, whereas when the products of these schools are assessed internationally, the findings are “near disastrous”.
Wan Saiful said that those in power seem to be “very good” at shaping how the poor view the quality of education in the country.
He said: “There are too many ‘illusions of reform’ created by the various announcements by the government. But we must remember that these are only announcements.
“The trust of the poor should not be taken advantage of. They need true school reform to help the next generation break away from the poverty cycle.”
Wan Saiful said that if Malaysians want to safeguard the future of their children, they must ensure that perception is about as close to reality.
“And the reality at the moment looks rather grim,” he said.
Wan Saiful is being very diplomatic to talk about “illusions” that the Malaysian education is “world class” which make Malaysian parents in the bottom 40 per cent of the parents “happy” that their children are getting a quality education.
I would not call this “illusion” but describe it as “delusion”, which Muhyiddin and the Barisan Nasional leaders have concocted by a neo-feudal enslavement and subjugation of the thinking of Malaysians, particularly those in the bottom 40 per cent of the population and those in the rural areas.
In the 2012 PISA (Programme of International Student Assessment), Indonesia topped the list for being the happiest students at school although Indonesian 15-year-old students scored poorly in PISA tests, ranked at the second bottom for maths, science and reading.
Indonesia is ranked at 64 from 65 countries participated in the three-year cycle test. The average scores for Indonesian students are: mathematics 375; science 382 and reading 396. This is just slightly better compared with Peru which is at the bottom of the list. Peru is ranked as the third of the 65 countries whose students are the happiest at school.
It would appear that Malaysian students and parents are emulating their Indonesian counterparts – “happy” at their educational levels although they compare most unfavourably with international standards.
In fact, in the PISA ranking of students with the highest percentage of students who are happy at school, Malaysia is ranked No. 6 after Indonesia, Albania, Peru, Thailand and Colombia with some 90 per cent of the students “happy at school” although Malaysia is placed at the bottom third, ranked No. 52 out of the 65 countries in the 2012 PISA academic tests.
Muhyiddin must bear a great responsibility for this educational “illusion” or more correctly “delusion” of Malaysian parents and students in the bottom 40 per cent of the households that they are world-class students with a quality education, for Muhyiddin had conspired to hide the fact from Malaysian parents of the crisis of confidence confronting Malaysia since becoming Education Minister in 2009.
In fact, Muhyiddin had continued to hide from Malaysian parents and public the disastrous performance of Malaysian students in 2011 TIMSS, with Malaysia producing the worst results out of 25 countries which participated in the 1995 or 1999 to 2011 TIMSS, chalking the worst total of decreases of 79 points for maths, when the two next worst countries were Sweden with decrease of 55 points and Thailand 40 points.
In 1999 TIMSS, Malaysia’s scores on both Mathematics and Science (519 and 492 respectively) were above in the international average, with a ranking of 16 among 38 countries in Mathematics and 22 in Science.
By 2011, the Mathematics score had dropped to 440 points (26th position among 42 countries), while the Science score benchmarks fell to 426 points (32nd among 42 countries).
Up to 38 percent of students in Malaysia did not meet the minimum benchmarks in Mathematics and Science in 2011, an approximately twofold increase since 2007, and five times higher than in 1999.
Muhyiddin had never confided in Malaysians that the country is facing a grave crisis of confidence about our educational standards, preferring to let Malaysians particularly the bottom 40 per cent of the population believe that Malaysia has a world-class education system which could become even better after the 13-year Malaysia Education Plan to catapult it to the top third of the nations of the world.
Up to now, despite the adverse 2011 TIMSS and 2012 PISA results, Muhyiddin has refused to come clean and admit that the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 for Malaysia to attain the rank of top third nations in TIMSS and PISA systems are unrealistic, unachievable and Utopian.
When will Muhyiddin come clean with the people of Malaysia about the crisis of deteriorating educational standards in the past decade as highlighted by the 2011 TIMSS and 2012 PISA, and stop the concoction of educational “illusions” and “delusions” so that Malaysians can wake up to the reality that the Malaysian educational system has a very long way to become world-class regardless of whether Malaysian parents and students in the bottom 40 per cent of the population are mistakenly or ill-advisedly “happy” or otherwise?
The time has come for Muhyiddin to go on live telecast to make such a confession of educational ineptitude and irresponsibility.
The greatest disservice to the nation by the Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is his denial that Malaysia has been in the throes of an educational crisis for the past decade and making the bottom 40 per cent of Malaysians parents and students happy because of the delusion of a “world class” and quality education ensuring excellence for all.
In actual fact, educational standards in Malaysia, whether primary, secondary or university, have seriously deteriorated over the past decade.
What the CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), Wan Saiful Wan Jan, said yesterday should be serious food for thought for all Malaysians.
Wan Saiful accused the Barisan Nasional government of taking advantage of the trust given by the poor by creating an “illusion” that the education system in the country has been reformed.
He said that according to a study conducted by his think tank, the bottom 40 per cent of parents of school-going children are generally happy with the quality of schools and teachers in the country when the reality is that their children are struggling by regional and international standards.
Lamenting the wide gap between “perception and reality”, Wan Saiful said these parents seem to have a very positive perception about our schools, whereas when the products of these schools are assessed internationally, the findings are “near disastrous”.
Wan Saiful said that those in power seem to be “very good” at shaping how the poor view the quality of education in the country.
He said: “There are too many ‘illusions of reform’ created by the various announcements by the government. But we must remember that these are only announcements.
“The trust of the poor should not be taken advantage of. They need true school reform to help the next generation break away from the poverty cycle.”
Wan Saiful said that if Malaysians want to safeguard the future of their children, they must ensure that perception is about as close to reality.
“And the reality at the moment looks rather grim,” he said.
Wan Saiful is being very diplomatic to talk about “illusions” that the Malaysian education is “world class” which make Malaysian parents in the bottom 40 per cent of the parents “happy” that their children are getting a quality education.
I would not call this “illusion” but describe it as “delusion”, which Muhyiddin and the Barisan Nasional leaders have concocted by a neo-feudal enslavement and subjugation of the thinking of Malaysians, particularly those in the bottom 40 per cent of the population and those in the rural areas.
In the 2012 PISA (Programme of International Student Assessment), Indonesia topped the list for being the happiest students at school although Indonesian 15-year-old students scored poorly in PISA tests, ranked at the second bottom for maths, science and reading.
Indonesia is ranked at 64 from 65 countries participated in the three-year cycle test. The average scores for Indonesian students are: mathematics 375; science 382 and reading 396. This is just slightly better compared with Peru which is at the bottom of the list. Peru is ranked as the third of the 65 countries whose students are the happiest at school.
It would appear that Malaysian students and parents are emulating their Indonesian counterparts – “happy” at their educational levels although they compare most unfavourably with international standards.
In fact, in the PISA ranking of students with the highest percentage of students who are happy at school, Malaysia is ranked No. 6 after Indonesia, Albania, Peru, Thailand and Colombia with some 90 per cent of the students “happy at school” although Malaysia is placed at the bottom third, ranked No. 52 out of the 65 countries in the 2012 PISA academic tests.
Muhyiddin must bear a great responsibility for this educational “illusion” or more correctly “delusion” of Malaysian parents and students in the bottom 40 per cent of the households that they are world-class students with a quality education, for Muhyiddin had conspired to hide the fact from Malaysian parents of the crisis of confidence confronting Malaysia since becoming Education Minister in 2009.
In fact, Muhyiddin had continued to hide from Malaysian parents and public the disastrous performance of Malaysian students in 2011 TIMSS, with Malaysia producing the worst results out of 25 countries which participated in the 1995 or 1999 to 2011 TIMSS, chalking the worst total of decreases of 79 points for maths, when the two next worst countries were Sweden with decrease of 55 points and Thailand 40 points.
In 1999 TIMSS, Malaysia’s scores on both Mathematics and Science (519 and 492 respectively) were above in the international average, with a ranking of 16 among 38 countries in Mathematics and 22 in Science.
By 2011, the Mathematics score had dropped to 440 points (26th position among 42 countries), while the Science score benchmarks fell to 426 points (32nd among 42 countries).
Up to 38 percent of students in Malaysia did not meet the minimum benchmarks in Mathematics and Science in 2011, an approximately twofold increase since 2007, and five times higher than in 1999.
Muhyiddin had never confided in Malaysians that the country is facing a grave crisis of confidence about our educational standards, preferring to let Malaysians particularly the bottom 40 per cent of the population believe that Malaysia has a world-class education system which could become even better after the 13-year Malaysia Education Plan to catapult it to the top third of the nations of the world.
Up to now, despite the adverse 2011 TIMSS and 2012 PISA results, Muhyiddin has refused to come clean and admit that the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 for Malaysia to attain the rank of top third nations in TIMSS and PISA systems are unrealistic, unachievable and Utopian.
When will Muhyiddin come clean with the people of Malaysia about the crisis of deteriorating educational standards in the past decade as highlighted by the 2011 TIMSS and 2012 PISA, and stop the concoction of educational “illusions” and “delusions” so that Malaysians can wake up to the reality that the Malaysian educational system has a very long way to become world-class regardless of whether Malaysian parents and students in the bottom 40 per cent of the population are mistakenly or ill-advisedly “happy” or otherwise?
The time has come for Muhyiddin to go on live telecast to make such a confession of educational ineptitude and irresponsibility.
Six Foreigners Perish In Fiery Crash Near Kampung Pandan
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- Six foreign nationals were killed in an accident involving their car, a Nissan Skyline, at the Kampung Pandan roundabout, here early Wednesday morning.
According to a spokesman for Kuala Lumpur Traffic Police, the victims were a male Briton, three Filipino women and two Myanmar women who perished when the car they were in crashed and caught fire.
They were identified as Simon John Hall, 40, manager of Leighton Offshore here, the three Filipino women were Siso Aileen, 30, Maileen Tentative Montejo, 26, and Mary Grace Macaraig, 24, while the two Myanmar nationals were Pi Pi, 20, and Esther Sui, 26.
The Myanmar women held passes from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, he said when contacted here.
In the 12.45am accident, the car with the six victims went out of control near Kampung Pandan causing the car to ram into a concrete pilliar of the flyover before bursting into flames.
Assistant Director of Fire Operations, Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department, Azizan Ismail said the department received an emergency call at 12.42am and two engines together with 13 firemen from the Pudu and Hang Tuah Fire and Rescue Stations rushed to the scene.
The remains of all the victims were sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for post-mortem.
According to a spokesman for Kuala Lumpur Traffic Police, the victims were a male Briton, three Filipino women and two Myanmar women who perished when the car they were in crashed and caught fire.
They were identified as Simon John Hall, 40, manager of Leighton Offshore here, the three Filipino women were Siso Aileen, 30, Maileen Tentative Montejo, 26, and Mary Grace Macaraig, 24, while the two Myanmar nationals were Pi Pi, 20, and Esther Sui, 26.
The Myanmar women held passes from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, he said when contacted here.
In the 12.45am accident, the car with the six victims went out of control near Kampung Pandan causing the car to ram into a concrete pilliar of the flyover before bursting into flames.
Assistant Director of Fire Operations, Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department, Azizan Ismail said the department received an emergency call at 12.42am and two engines together with 13 firemen from the Pudu and Hang Tuah Fire and Rescue Stations rushed to the scene.
The remains of all the victims were sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for post-mortem.
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Study: Widespread Islamic Fundamentalism in Europe
“Religious fundamentalism is not a marginal phenomenon in Western Europe,” concluded a December 9, 2013, press release of the Berlin Social Science Center (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung or WZB) with respect to European Muslims in particular. The social survey results from six West European countries supporting WZB’s conclusion present troubling questions concerning Muslim immigrant integration into free societies in Europe and beyond.As a WZB Discussion Paper explained, the WZB-funded Six Country Immigrant Integration Comparative Survey (SCIICS) involved a 2008 “large-scale telephone survey.” Respondents were “Turkish origin” and “Moroccan origin” people “who came during the guest-worker era” pre-1975 or their descendants. SCIICS surveyed both groups in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, while insignificant Moroccan populations limited the survey to Turkish-descent individuals in Austria and Sweden. SCIICS sought 500 respondents from each group in each country as well as from a control group of non-immigrant descended country citizens, with the exception of Belgium with its “high degree of federalism.” Here SCIICS surveyed 300 individuals from each group in both Flanders and Wallonia provinces. Almost 9,000 completed surveys or 3,373 native, 3,344 Turkish, and 2,204 Moroccan origin, resulted.
For WZB study author Ruud Koopmans the results revealed unsettling aspects of Islamic belief in Western Europe as discussed in his article “Fundamentalism and Out-Group Hostility: Muslim Immigrants and Christian Natives in Western Europe.” Among other issues, SCIICS sought to remedy the deficiency that “very little is known about the extent of religious fundamentalism among Muslim immigrants” in Europe. A “large number of studies” on American Protestant fundamentalism, meanwhile, “have shown that it is strongly and consistently associated with prejudices and hostility against racial and religious out-groups, as well as ‘deviant’ groups such as homosexuals.”
For a comparative religious fundamentalism survey, SCIICS employed Bob Altermeyer and Bruce Hunsberger’s “widely accepted definition of fundamentalism” with “three key elements.” These are (1) “that believers should return to the eternal and unchangeable rules laid down in the past;” (2) “that these rules allow only one interpretation and are binding for all believers;” and (3) “that religious rules have priority over secular laws.” Accordingly, “native respondents who indicated” being Christian (70%) and “Turkish and Moroccan origin” respondents who professed being Muslim (96%) received three questions. These were (1) “Christians [Muslims] should return to the roots of Christianity [Islam];” (2) “There is only one interpretation of the Bible [the Koran] and every Christian [Muslim] must stick to that;” and (3) “The rules of the Bible [the Koran] are more important to me than the laws of [survey country].”
These questions revealed that “religious fundamentalism is not a marginal phenomenon within West European Muslim communities.” Almost 60% of surveyed Muslims advocated a “return to the roots of Islam,” 75% accepted following “only one interpretation of the Koran,” and 65% considered “religious rules…more important” than domestic laws. “Consistent fundamentalist beliefs, with agreement to all three statements,” existed among 44% of the Muslim survey respondents.
“Fundamentalist attitudes are slightly less prevalent among Sunni Muslims with a Turkish (45% agreement to all three statements) compared to a Moroccan (50%) background,” Koopmans noted. In contrast, only 15% of Alevi, a “Turkish minority current within Islam,” were similarly fundamentalist. The “lowest levels of fundamentalism” among the individually surveyed Muslim communities appeared in Germany, where a nonetheless “widespread” 30% affirmed all three statements. This result opposed the “idea that fundamentalism is a reaction to exclusion by the host society” given that German Muslims had the least legal recognition as a religious community among all the surveyed countries. Koopmans discerned “remarkably similar patterns” in other studies of West European Muslims such that 47% of German Muslims prioritized religious rules over democracy in both his and the 2007 Federal Ministry of the Interior Muslime in Deutschland study.
By contrast, only 13-21% of Christian survey respondents agreed to the individual statements, with fewer than 4% accepting all three as “consistent fundamentalists.” Corresponding “with what is known about Christian fundamentalism,” fundamentalism rates were low among Catholics (3%) and “mainstream Protestants” (4%). A “most pronounced” high of 12% occurred “among the adherents of smaller Protestant groups such as Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Pentecostal believers.” Thus Christian “support for fundamentalist attitudes remains much below the levels found among Sunni Muslims.”
Such “differences are due to class rather than religion,” a critical observer might object. The “demographic and socio-economic profiles of Muslim immigrants and native Christians differ strongly,” Koopmans recognized. Moreover, “marginalized, lowerclass individuals are more strongly attracted to fundamentalist movements.” Yet “regression analyses controlling for education, labor market status, age, gender, and marital status” refuted this theory. Such “variables explain variation…within both religious groups,” but “do not at all explain or even diminish the difference between Muslims and Christians.” Particularly troubling, while Christian “religious fundamentalism is much less widespread among younger people, fundamentalist attitudes are as widespread among young as among older Muslims.”
Given that American Christian fundamentalism research “has demonstrated a strong association with hostility towards out-groups…seen as threatening the religious in-group,” SCIICS investigated “this linkage…in the European context.” Here SCIICS utilized “three statements that measure rejection of homosexuals and Jews” along with the perception of being “threatened by outside enemies.” Religious respondents received the statements “I don’t want to have homosexuals as friends” and “Jews cannot be trusted.” “Muslims aim to destroy Western culture” and “Western countries are out to destroy Islam” were, respectively, the third question for Christian natives and Turkish/Moroccan-descent Muslims.
Such “out-group hostility is far from negligible among native Christians.” The offered statements revealed that 9% of these respondents were “overtly anti-Semitic” (11% in Germany) and 13% (10% in Germany) rejected homosexual friends. “Not surprisingly,” the Muslim out-group attracted the “highest level of hostility” from 23% (17% in Germany) who feared Muslims as the West’s destroyers. Hostility towards all three groups united only 1.6% native Christians. Inclusion of all natives, secular or religious, slightly lowered the “out-group hostility” to respective rates of 8%, 10%, 21%, and 1.4%.
Although “worrisome enough,” these native figures “are dwarfed by the levels of out-group hostility among European Muslims.” Their hostility towards homosexuals and Jews reach levels of almost 60% and 45%, respectively. Compared with “Islamophobic” natives, Muslim “phobia against the West” is “much higher still;” 54% of Muslim respondents fearing a Western destruction of Islam. Koopmans suggested the term “Occidentophobia” for this fear “for which oddly enough there is no word.”
A little more than a quarter of surveyed Muslims were hostile towards all three groups, with Turkish (30% agreeing with all three statements) outscoring in this metric Moroccan Muslims (17%). Alevi (13% agreeing to all three statements) were significantly less hostile than Turkish Sunni Muslims (31%). Once again “worrying,” Muslim respondents do not replicate the native trend that “out-group hostility is significantly lower among younger generations.” Likewise once again, “controlling for socio-economic variables hardly reduces group differences.” In all, “religious fundamentalism…turns out to be by far the most important predictor of out-group hostility” as differences between surveyed Christians and Muslims indicated.
SCIICS’ “findings clearly contradict…often-heard” assertions that “Islamic religious fundamentalism is a marginal phenomenon in Western Europe” similar to the “extent of fundamentalism among the Christian majority.” “Both claims are blatantly false,” Koopmans concluded. Not only the “extent of Islamic religious fundamentalism,” but also its hostile “correlates” are “serious causes of concern for policy makers as well as Muslim community leaders.” While “religious fundamentalism should not be equated with the willingness to support, or even to engage, in religiously motivated violence,” fundamentalism’s “strong relationship to out-group hostility” could “very likely…provide a nourishing environment for radicalization.”
Contrary to politically correct nostrums about Islam’s practical equivalence to all other faiths, WZB has soberly assessed disturbing facts. WZB’s analysis is even more disturbing given traditional Islamic understandings of aggressive and authoritarian jihad/sharia norms belonging to Islam’s fundamentals, a canonical core apparently ignored by Koopmans but not by devout German Muslims-turned-violent. Europe and the rest of the world ignore these facts at their peril.
Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here.
"Whole Families Murdered": Obama-backed Jihadists execute over 80 civilians in Syrian Capital
Obama-backed savages. Slaughter, abductions. “Some families
were kidnapped in order to be used as human shields in areas where the
Syrian army is now trying to free the civilians.”
They roasted them in ovens. How desperately they want to be Nazis.
They roasted them in ovens. How desperately they want to be Nazis.
‘Whole families murdered’: Syrian rebels execute over 80 civilians outside Damascus Pravoslavie, December 16, 2013 (thanks to Maksim)
Over 80 civilians in a town northwest of the Syrian capital of Damascus have been executed by Islamist rebels, sources within the Syrian military told RT. Many others were kidnapped to be used as human shields.
Government forces are continuing a large-scale operation against Jabhat al-Nusra and Liwa Al-Islam fighters, who captured the town earlier this week. The area is located some 20 kilometers away from Damascus.
According to SANA news agency, around 1,000 militants were in the town when it was enveloped by the army on Friday.
The military sources said the “armed groups have performed an execution of civilians” in Adra, RT Arabic correspondent Abutaleb Albohaya reported from Syria.
“For now it’s established that over 80 people were killed in the areas now taken over by the army. Often whole families were murdered,” he said.Meanwhile, an estimated 76 people, including 24 children were killed when the Syrian government reportedly launched a series of airstrikes in rebel-held districts throughout the northern industrial city of Aleppo. Helicopters dropped barrels containing TNT explosives on anywhere between 6 and 10 districts, leveling shops, entire apartment complexes and sections of roads. It was reportedly the worst bombing raid on rebel-held territory in over 6 months.
The number of executed civilians is expected to rise after government troops manage to recover the rest of the town - which has a population of around 20,000 - from the Islamists, the military source added.
“Some families were kidnapped in order to be used as human shields in areas where the Syrian army is now trying to free the civilians,” Albohaya stressed. Iraqi Al-Ahd television says this is the reason the Syrian army is abstaining from using artillery on Sunday.
“The military sources also said that the other kidnapped families were moved to the area south of Adra in the direction of the town of Douma, which has been the opposition’s strategic backland since the start of the Syrian crisis [in March, 2011]. It’s also where the most important rebel fortifications are situated,” Albohaya said.
The rebel presence remains strong in Adra, with “snipers entrenched in high-rise buildings,” he added. “Many opposition militant groups are still acting in areas outside and within the town.”
The army’s special forces have performed several successful operations against those groups, which have resulted in the deaths of dozens of militants, the military source said.
The military is storming every house and has already freed dozens of Alawite, Druze, and Christian families from the rebels, Al-Ahd reported.
The government troops have cornered a highway leading to the international airport in Damascus, which is situated four kilometers away from Adra.
The military does not exclude the possibility that militants will break through the blockade in this direction, putting the nearby town of Dahiyat al Asad in danger, according to Al-Ahd.
‘People toasted in ovens’
What the Islamist rebels did when they entered Adra on Wednesday morning was a “massacre,” one a local resident told RT.
“The situation was terrible - with killing, atrocities, and fear as the background. Unidentified armed men came into town, but it was obvious that they were Jabhat al-Nusra militants,” Muhammad Al-Said said.
“The worst crime they committed was that they toasted people in ovens used to bake bread when those people came to buy it. They kidnapped and beat up many,” he added.
According to Al-Said, the rebels committed the atrocities so they could place blame on government forces.
But the resident said that Adra citizens are “waiting for Syrian troops to save us from the terrorists, who came from other countries.”
“Those, who could, fled to Damascus. Some hid in the basement, with infants, the elderly, women, and sick people among them. The situation was really terrible,” Al-Said said.
Geopolitical analyst Patrick Henningsen sees foreign encouragement of rebel forces as one of the reasons behind the Adra tragedy.
“What it does indicate… is that there is involvement by the western intelligence agencies that have links to some of those radical jihadist groups,” Henningsen told RT. “And that has been proven throughout history and is also the case today. The first thing that needs to happen for any peace talks to succeed is that Western governments cannot be involved in any way, shape or form, either through proxies or through the intelligence agencies or third parties in arming, financing, giving aid of any kind to the Syrian opposition.”
Aleppo, Syria's largest city by population and one time commercial hub, is now divided between areas occupied by troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebel fighters.
Large swaths of the city have been decimated after rebels launched a major offensive in July 2012.
The bloody civil war has been raging in Syria for almost three years. According to UN estimates, over 100,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict.
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/12/whole-families-murdered-obama-backed-jihadists-execute-over-80-civilians-in-syrian-capital.html
80,000 objection letters received over assessment rate hike, says Tengku Adnan
Property
owners were among those gathered outside Kuala Lumpur City Hall
yesterday to protest
against the assessment rate hike. – The Malaysian
Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, December 17, 2013.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall has received an estimated 80,000 objection letters from property owners unhappy with the assessment rate hike, said Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor today.
"I discussed with my officers today and out of the 507,000 property owners, only about 80,000 had submitted their objections.
"Most of the complaints are the same as they (property owners) do not understand... and the opposition is spinning the matter out of proportion," an irate Tengku Adnan told reporters today.
He then went on to apologise again over the confusion arising out of the revaluation of properties in the city.
"I think this is like the 10th time I'm apologising and I can still apologise. It's a mistake done by us, so we are going to correct it," he added.
"People were insulting the mayor yesterday, asking him to resign but this is very uncalled for... We are doing it for the betterment of the people."
Tengku Adnan added that the new valuation is also good for commercial properties.
"I have not decided on the rates. However, the deadline to submit the objection letters is midnight," he said after launching the Park 'N Ride facility at the Southern Integrated bus Terminal (TBS) in Kuala Lumpur.
Hundreds of property owners turned up at the City Hall headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut yesterday to protest against the controversial assessment rate hike – a day before the deadline for appeals to be submitted against the increase in the valuation of properties which has not changed in 21 years.
The protesters were accompanied by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Batu MP Tian Chua, Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng.
Property owners in the city have been up in arms over the assessment rate hike after receiving notices from City Hall informing them of the new valuation for their properties.
The valuation of some properties will increase between 100% and 250% and owners fear that this will result in higher assessment rates, which is calculated based on a percentage of the property valuation. – December 17, 2013.
Shiites standing trial a form of 'fascism', say NGOs
They warned that if these elements are left unchecked, it could lead to other incidents such as burning books or punishing individuals of a different religion, race and culture.
“As such, we urge all parties that do not want their freedom to be impeded to unite against this fascist, extreme and totalitarian elements,” they said.
The statement was endorsed by Policy Research Institute (IKD), Jalan Telawi Art Community (KsJT) and the Pak Sako Academy.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published yesterday, a local Shiite said that Shiites’ rights in the country are currently worse than those of animals and non-Muslims.
“I am a citizen of this country. I have my rights in this country. I am a Muslim. My welfare as a Muslim should be secured. Non-Muslims in this country are also given their rights. I, too, should have my rights as a Muslim. But for me, there are no rights at all. Even animals in the country have rights,” Mohd Kamilzuhairi Abdul Aziz was quoted by WSJ as saying.
He said that the Islamic religious authorities often “provoke” Shiites in getting them to say that Shiites consider Sunni Muslims as enemies.
Dr Nur Azah Abdul Halim and Mohammad Ridzuan Yusof are scheduled to stand trial today at a Syariah court in Taiping for breaking the state fatwa (edict) banning Shiite religious materials by possessing Shiite materials in their possession.
Both have pleaded not guilty.
Cut ties with Vatican to stem 'Allah' row, says Abim
A source close to the Catholic Church had told Malaysiakini that Bishop Murphy Pakiam's (right) resignation on Dec 6 was promptly accepted by the Vatican, perhaps reflecting disappointment with Pakiam's softer stance on the Allah issue.The editor of Catholic publication The Herald, Rev Lawrence Andrew, has however dismissed such talk.
"If a vocal and aggressive bishop is chosen (according to Vatican demands) it will spark a conflict between the parties involved (Muslims and Catholics).
"Therefore, Abim weighs seriously the direct involvement of the Vatican in the choosing Malaysia’s bishop.
"The attitude of the Vatican in this case is regretted, because it completely ignores the sensitivities of the Muslim community in this country," Abim president Amidi Abd Manan said in a statement today.
Pakiam had tendered his resignation as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur on Dec 6 on his 75th birthday, as he reached retirement age. But some were alarmed at how fast the Vatican accepted his resignation.
Rev Lawrence Andrew however dismissed talk that Vatican would suddenly intervene in the ‘Allah’ row issue, noting that it has been on-going since the 1970s. The legal dispute over the use of the term ‘Allah’ between The Herald and the government of Malaysia, he also pointed out, was raised during Pakiam’s time as Archbishop.
In
July, Jalur Tiga (Jati) president Hasan Ali, Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali and
other Muslim NGOs had also urged a review of the Vatican embassy in
Malaysia. The embassy was set up in January this year, in a follow- up
to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s visit to Rome in 2011 to meet the
Pope.Muslim NGOs were irked by the Holy See’s embassy after its envoy Joseph Marino was reported standing behind the local Catholic church for championing the right of Christians to use the world ‘Allah’ to refer to God. He later apologised for this remark.
‘Allah’ is used in the Bahasa Malaysia versions of the Bible, especially by Christians in Sabah and Sarawak as the mostly bumiputera congregation there worship in Bahasa Malaysia.
The Home Ministry has however banned peninsula Malaysia-based publication The Herald from using it.
‘MIC looks like a pensioners’ club’
Taman Dagang Jaya MIC branch chairman K Sathasivam says president G Palanivel's choice for new leaders will lead the party to its political demise.
PETALING JAYA: MIC president G Palanivel is taking the party to its political demise by appointing senior citizens and deadwood to the Central Working Committee (CWC), said Taman Dagang Jaya MIC branch chairman K Sathasivam.
“The party’s new leadership line-up looks like a pensioners’ club,”said Sathasivam.
Yesterday, Palanivel announced that Shah Alam MIC deputy division chairman A Prakash Rao will succeed A Sakthivel as the party’s new secretary-general.
Palanivel also dropped his ally, Jaspal Singh, and replaced him with strategy bureau vice-director R Ramanan as the party’s new treasurer-general.
MIC Selangor information chief L Siva Subramaniam was also appointed as the party’s information chief.
However, it was Palanivel’s choice for the seven appointed CWC members that drew the ire of several MIC members.
Those appointed as CWC members are K Kumaran, KS Nijhar, Senator V Subramaniam, Johor state assemblyman K Ravenkumar, former Johor MIC chief KS Balakrishnan, Raub MIC division chief K Tamil Selvam and Telok Kemang MIC division chairman R Balakrishnan.
Sathasivam said five out of the seven leaders were aged 60 and above.
“One of them will even turn 80 next year. What is the point of appointing senior citizens when your objective is to infuse more youngsters to rejuvenate the party?” asked Sathasivam.
The MIC leader said there was a ‘hidden hand’ involved in the recent appointments but refused to divulge details.
“I will expose the person when the time comes,” said Sathasivam.
Palanivel also dropped his allies Serdang MIC division chief N Rawisandran and Selangor MIC secretary K Parthiban from the line-up.
Party strategy director S Vell Paari has claimed that he was offered a CWC post but he had turned it down.
Meanwhile, new secretary-general Prakash Rao said he was honoured to be given the post and thanked Palanivel for having confidence in him.
“I will work with my other comrades to help improve education and economic opportunities for Indians and solve the social problems faced by the community,” he told FMT.
Prakash Rao said he would look into the claims of irregularities in the party polls as soon as possible.
The new treasurer-general Ramanan praised Palanivel for doing a great job in defending the rights of the Indian community.
“MIC is giant party but it was in a slumber. We have now awakened to the reality and needs of the new generation of Indians in Malaysia.
“Palanivel has made positive changes with a team mixed with fresh and experienced faces, and we are now moving forward at a renewed pace,” he said.
PETALING JAYA: MIC president G Palanivel is taking the party to its political demise by appointing senior citizens and deadwood to the Central Working Committee (CWC), said Taman Dagang Jaya MIC branch chairman K Sathasivam.“The party’s new leadership line-up looks like a pensioners’ club,”said Sathasivam.
Yesterday, Palanivel announced that Shah Alam MIC deputy division chairman A Prakash Rao will succeed A Sakthivel as the party’s new secretary-general.
Palanivel also dropped his ally, Jaspal Singh, and replaced him with strategy bureau vice-director R Ramanan as the party’s new treasurer-general.
MIC Selangor information chief L Siva Subramaniam was also appointed as the party’s information chief.
However, it was Palanivel’s choice for the seven appointed CWC members that drew the ire of several MIC members.
Those appointed as CWC members are K Kumaran, KS Nijhar, Senator V Subramaniam, Johor state assemblyman K Ravenkumar, former Johor MIC chief KS Balakrishnan, Raub MIC division chief K Tamil Selvam and Telok Kemang MIC division chairman R Balakrishnan.
Sathasivam said five out of the seven leaders were aged 60 and above.
“One of them will even turn 80 next year. What is the point of appointing senior citizens when your objective is to infuse more youngsters to rejuvenate the party?” asked Sathasivam.
The MIC leader said there was a ‘hidden hand’ involved in the recent appointments but refused to divulge details.
“I will expose the person when the time comes,” said Sathasivam.
Palanivel also dropped his allies Serdang MIC division chief N Rawisandran and Selangor MIC secretary K Parthiban from the line-up.
Party strategy director S Vell Paari has claimed that he was offered a CWC post but he had turned it down.
Meanwhile, new secretary-general Prakash Rao said he was honoured to be given the post and thanked Palanivel for having confidence in him.
“I will work with my other comrades to help improve education and economic opportunities for Indians and solve the social problems faced by the community,” he told FMT.
Prakash Rao said he would look into the claims of irregularities in the party polls as soon as possible.
The new treasurer-general Ramanan praised Palanivel for doing a great job in defending the rights of the Indian community.
“MIC is giant party but it was in a slumber. We have now awakened to the reality and needs of the new generation of Indians in Malaysia.
“Palanivel has made positive changes with a team mixed with fresh and experienced faces, and we are now moving forward at a renewed pace,” he said.
New Councillors issue trivial, says PKR
The ending of current councillor's terms and no alternative new councillors named, leaving the state without councillors for the month of January is a trivial issue, says Xavier Jayakumar.
PETALING JAYA: PKR State assemblyman Xavier Jayakumar defended PKR by saying that they have submitted their full list of proposed new local councillors to the Selangor MB’s office.
He said that it was a trivial issue that could be temporarily resolved in other ways.
The Seri Andalas assemblyman suggested that an executive decision tabled at the state exco meeting could pass a motion for current local councillor’s terms to be extended until the end of January 2014 while awaiting the appointing of new faces.
Xavier said that the Menteri Besar’s office is currently vetting through the submitted list and added that there may be some changes made.
He said that PAS’s delay in submitting their proposed councillors list could be due to their only having ended their ‘muktamar’ recently and that they were in the midst of finalising their new management team.
When FMT contacted DAP and Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim to comment on how the delay in appointing new councillors will render the state council powerless, he replied sternly,
“On what basis are you’re saying the councils are powerless?”
It was reported yesterday, that the term for local councillors in all Selangor’s 12 local authorities will end at the end of December and nominations for new councillors has been postponed to end Jan 31, 2014, rendering the local authorities powerless for one month.
Petaling Jaya city councillor Derek Fernandez explained that the delay in naming the new councillors was due to some political parties yet to finalise their proposed list of candidates.
Fernadez claimed that the DAP has submitted their proposed list while PAS and PKR have yet to submit theirs.
It is rumoured that non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) councillors will be dropped from the new proposed line-up.
PETALING JAYA: PKR State assemblyman Xavier Jayakumar defended PKR by saying that they have submitted their full list of proposed new local councillors to the Selangor MB’s office.He said that it was a trivial issue that could be temporarily resolved in other ways.
The Seri Andalas assemblyman suggested that an executive decision tabled at the state exco meeting could pass a motion for current local councillor’s terms to be extended until the end of January 2014 while awaiting the appointing of new faces.
Xavier said that the Menteri Besar’s office is currently vetting through the submitted list and added that there may be some changes made.
He said that PAS’s delay in submitting their proposed councillors list could be due to their only having ended their ‘muktamar’ recently and that they were in the midst of finalising their new management team.
When FMT contacted DAP and Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim to comment on how the delay in appointing new councillors will render the state council powerless, he replied sternly,
“On what basis are you’re saying the councils are powerless?”
It was reported yesterday, that the term for local councillors in all Selangor’s 12 local authorities will end at the end of December and nominations for new councillors has been postponed to end Jan 31, 2014, rendering the local authorities powerless for one month.
Petaling Jaya city councillor Derek Fernandez explained that the delay in naming the new councillors was due to some political parties yet to finalise their proposed list of candidates.
Fernadez claimed that the DAP has submitted their proposed list while PAS and PKR have yet to submit theirs.
It is rumoured that non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) councillors will be dropped from the new proposed line-up.
Empat lelaki didakwa bunuh remaja yang disyaki curi tabung masjid
Majistret Ayuni Izzaty Sulaiman menetapkan 17 Feb depan untuk sebutan, sementara menunggu laporan bedah siasat.
KUALA LUMPUR: Empat lelaki didakwa di Mahkamah Majistret Ampang di sini hari ini atas pertuduhan membunuh seorang remaja yang disyaki mencuri tabung masjid, dua minggu lepas.
Pengurus Keselamatan Mohamad Yusof Mohamad, 39, dan tiga lagi pengawal keselamatan Mohd Aswenry Majon, 26, Iweldo Putra, 19, dan Pondri Neriko,20, didakwa membunuh Mohamad Shah Reza Fauzi, 20, di tangga tepi pagar Masjid Al-Azim, Jalan Pandan Indah, Ampang Jaya dekat sini pada 5 pagi, 3 Dis lepas.
Tiada pengakuan dicatatkan daripada kesemua tertuduh yang berdepan hukuman mati mandatori jika disabitkan kesalahan mengikut Seksyen 302 Kanun Keseksaan.
Majistret Ayuni Izzaty Sulaiman menetapkan 17 Feb depan untuk sebutan, sementara menunggu laporan bedah siasat.
Sementara itu, Iweldo dan Pondri dari Indonesia turut dijatuhi hukuman penjara selama setahun dan dikenakan dua sebatan selepas mengaku bersalah kerana tidak memiliki dokumen perjalanan sah untuk masuk ke Malaysia.
Ayuni mmerintahkan Iweldo dan Pondri menjalani hukuman itu bermula dari tarikh mereka ditangkap iaitu pada 3 Dis lepas.
Mereka didakwa melakukan kesalahan itu di Jalan Pandan Indah 4/8, Pandan Indah, Ampang Jaya dekat sini pada 2.30 petang, 3 Dis lepas di bawah Akta Imigresen.
Pendakwaan dikendalikan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Goh Ai Rene dan kesemua tertuduh tidak diwakili peguam.
-Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Empat lelaki didakwa di Mahkamah Majistret Ampang di sini hari ini atas pertuduhan membunuh seorang remaja yang disyaki mencuri tabung masjid, dua minggu lepas.Pengurus Keselamatan Mohamad Yusof Mohamad, 39, dan tiga lagi pengawal keselamatan Mohd Aswenry Majon, 26, Iweldo Putra, 19, dan Pondri Neriko,20, didakwa membunuh Mohamad Shah Reza Fauzi, 20, di tangga tepi pagar Masjid Al-Azim, Jalan Pandan Indah, Ampang Jaya dekat sini pada 5 pagi, 3 Dis lepas.
Tiada pengakuan dicatatkan daripada kesemua tertuduh yang berdepan hukuman mati mandatori jika disabitkan kesalahan mengikut Seksyen 302 Kanun Keseksaan.
Majistret Ayuni Izzaty Sulaiman menetapkan 17 Feb depan untuk sebutan, sementara menunggu laporan bedah siasat.
Sementara itu, Iweldo dan Pondri dari Indonesia turut dijatuhi hukuman penjara selama setahun dan dikenakan dua sebatan selepas mengaku bersalah kerana tidak memiliki dokumen perjalanan sah untuk masuk ke Malaysia.
Ayuni mmerintahkan Iweldo dan Pondri menjalani hukuman itu bermula dari tarikh mereka ditangkap iaitu pada 3 Dis lepas.
Mereka didakwa melakukan kesalahan itu di Jalan Pandan Indah 4/8, Pandan Indah, Ampang Jaya dekat sini pada 2.30 petang, 3 Dis lepas di bawah Akta Imigresen.
Pendakwaan dikendalikan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Goh Ai Rene dan kesemua tertuduh tidak diwakili peguam.
-Bernama
29 cases investigated for insulting Islam, monarchy
(Bernama) – The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) have investigated 29 cases until June for allegedly insulting Islam and the royal institution, the Dewan Negara was told today.Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said an individual was fined RM20,000 by the Sessions Court when he was found guilty for insulting the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim on a Facebook account.
“The MCMC also received 36 complaints over remarks allegedly insulting Islam. However, the use of Facebook, Twitter and blogs cannot be fully controlled,” he said when replying to a question from Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakar.
Ahmad Shabery said the MCMC had launched the “Klik dengan Bijak” campaign to encourage Internet users to exercise self-restrain, educate them on the good and the bad of social networking, and what could and could not be trusted on social sites.
To a supplementary question from Abdul Rahman on whether the ministry planned to impose registration and deposit on social site users, Ahmad Shabery said the ministry has no such plan.
He said the Communications and Multimedia Act, Sedition Act and Defamation Act were sufficient to regulate activities of social sites, including Facebook which has 15 million accounts.
15 penguins in Langkawi sent to new home in Vietnam
A Underwater World Langkawi (UWL) staff checks on the penguins. Pix by Shahrizal Md Noor.
LANGKAWI: Fifteen African penguin chicks, which were bred at the Underwater World Langkawi (UWL) were sent to their new home in Hanoi, Vietnam today.The chicks, comprised of seven males and eight females were sent in three custom-made wooden boxes before being flown to Hanoi via MAS Cargo during a simple ceremony this morning.
UWL manager Norlina Zubir said the delivery of the penguin chicks to Vietnam proved UWL's capability in becoming a well-known penguin breeding and research centre in the region.
Create a strong judiciary, urges Raja Nazrin
The New Straits Times
by JASPAL SINGH
by JASPAL SINGH
JUSTICE FOR ALL: Ensure rights and freedoms are protected, says Perak regent
IPOH:
JUDGES and lawyers need to work towards creating a strong judiciary and
justice system to protect the rights, equalities and freedoms
guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.
Regent
of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, in issuing the reminder, stressed that a
strong judiciary and a sound justice system were a pre-requisite for the
growth and development of a nation.
It
was imperative, he said, that lawyers and judges alike possess high
levels of intellectual capacity, as well as emotional and social
intelligence to gain the citizens' and other stakeholders' trust and
confidence in the justice system.
"The
role of lawyers and judges in the incremental development of the law
and upholding justice are integral towards achieving the ultimate
objective of the supremacy of the rule of law in civil society.
"These traits will allow the legal profession to achieve greater heights.
"The
challenges faced by the legal profession, too, can be easily identified
and solved in time through perseverance and steadfast commitment to
these ideals," he said in a keynote address at the opening of the
Inaugural Perak Bar Law Lectures 2013.
Raja
Nazrin said a nation must strive to give due respect to the freedom of
individuals and it had to balance that freedom with that of the
collective whole.
"In
a democratic society such as ours, the legal system is the ultimate
bastion that ensures fairness and justice so that all are treated in a
fair and equal manner.
"The
courts and lawyers, therefore, have an important role in preserving the
rights, equalities and freedom guaranteed by the (Federal)
Constitution."
National
development could not disregard the need for a strong, fair and dynamic
legal system which was integral to a prosperous and developed nation,
he said.
Present
were Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, senior
Ipoh High Court judge Datuk Zainal Adzam Abd Ghani, Perak Bar Committee
chairman Vivekanandan A.M.S Periasamy, deputy chair of the Asia Practice
Section of the Commercial Bar of Victoria Dr Joshua D Wilson and
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
Later,
Raja Nazrin presented the Perak Bar Lifetime Achievement Award to Tan
Sri V. Jeyaratnam and the Perak Bar Sports Achievement Award to
Purshotamandas Nathermal Thadani.
He
also witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of cooperation between the
Perak Bar and the Victoria Bar, which would accelerate Perak into
becoming a centre of arbitration and mediation training in the
Asia-Pacific region.
Work Hard To Make Malaysia A Developed Nation, Najib Tells Civil Servants
KUALA
LUMPUR, Dec 17 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Tuesday asked
civil servants to work hard to make Malaysia a developed nation that
continues to be highly regarded by world leaders.The prime minister said he was convinced that with the cooperation of the 1.4 million civil servants who support such an aspiration, Malaysia would progress into the desired high-income developed nation.
He said he wanted the world leaders whom he meets, such as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, President Xi Jinping of China and President Barack Obama of the United States, to respect Malaysia as a nation which is gradually progressing into a developed one that Malaysians can be proud of.
Najib said this in his speech when opening the 26th Triennial Convention of CUEPACS, in the capital.
The prime minister said the good relations and cooperation between civil servants and the government should be maintained, with both making the mission a commitment that had to be supported, appreciated and implemented for mutual benefit.
"Hopefully, this cooperation will make us a high-income developed nation. We no longer want people to underestimate us," he said.
Obama, who was scheduled to visit Kuala Lumpur to attend the 4th Global Entrepreneurship Summit on Oct 11 and 12, had to postpone the trip due to a 16-day US government shutdown.
Najib, when announcing the postponement on Oct 2, said Obama had said that he was committed to visiting Malaysia.
Protest : Denigration of sacred Hindu Deities by Whip In (Kamala Brewing), Texas
Images
of Lord Ganesh and Deity Durga on beer bottles
Namaskar, dear supporter of Hinduism,
We have received several complaints from Hindus about a severe denigration of Hindu deities and practices by Whip In’s Kamala brewing (previously known as Namaste Brewery) in Austin Texas. Whip In has several house made beers named after sacred Hindu deities like Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha.
Attempts have been made by several Hindus to educate the owners into removing the names and images of Hindu deities from their products, but the owners have rejected all such requests to stop the denigration of Hindu deities, and are continuing to denigrate the Hindu deities and practices.
Why is this a denigration ?
Since time immemorial Hindu Deities and Goddesses have been worshipped with much reverence. Every ritual (e.g. Aarti), every festival(e.g. Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Dassera), every act in Hindusim starts with divine invocation of a sacred Hindu deity.
During Navratri, on each of the nine days Goddess Durga is worshipped in her various forms by millions of Hindus.
During any puja, Lord Ganesh is first invoked through sacred mantras and shlokas.
To trivialize divinity with items consumed for temporary fun such as beers and ales, is not only being insensitive but extremely hurtful to billions of followers of Hinduism who worship Hindu deities.
We request you all to call and email the owners of Whip In to register your protest and request them to take down this denigration. You can also sign up our protest at the end of this post.
Join protest by participating in the online signature campaign on FHA website
http://forumforhinduawakening.org/dharma/campaigns/2013/12/13/protest-denigration-of-sacred-hindu-deities-by-whip-in-kamala-brewing-austin-texas/
Debunking the Umno Baru myths
Despite the early introduction of religious indoctrination, many Malays are said to be promiscuous and involved in incestuous relationships.
Some Malays are not afraid to say what our politicians are fearful of revealing. Perhaps, it is time to debunk Umno Baru’s lies. You may wish to add to the list below.
1. Only Umno Baru can protect the Malays
Umno Baru only protects the Malays who are beholden to them. The critical Malay does not win tenders for projects. He may find all manner of problems with his business licence. His application for government permits may be delayed or rejected.
A civil servant who dares to openly criticise may be demoted or sacked, and find his income tax being scrutinised, as punishment. Meritocracy, intellect and hard-work count for nothing in the Umno Baru world, only blind allegiance does.
When will the Malays realise that Umno Baru would cease to exist without the Malays?
2. Janji di tepati (Fulfilled promises)
In the run-up to GE13, Mat Sabu of PAS claimed that despite warning the rakyat about a petrol hike if BN were to win, the Malays said that Pakatan leaders were telling lies about BN in order to garner votes.
In
the coming weeks, we will be further burdened with the Goods and
Services Tax (GST), and crippled by increased costs of daily goods,
travel and energy. Things that were abolished before GE13 are returning
in a recycled version - the abolished Internal Security Act (ISA) will
be replaced with the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA). There is no further
news about BR1M, version 2, worth RM1,200. 3. Malays benefit from the NEP
Most ordinary Malays cannot afford good cars. The cheapest car may be a Proton, but in the long run, the cost of replacing substandard parts is high. Homes in good locations are overpriced and people spend hours commuting or trapped in traffic jams.
When top Malay civil servants allegedly ask housing developers to make “special arrangements” so they can purchase luxury homes that are designated solely for non-Malays, it is a subtle way of disagreeing with the government’s social engineering methods in housing.
When middle class Malays complain about houses being unaffordable, the government proposes the construction of more low-cost houses. Malays are angered by a government which thinks Malays are only worthy of cheap housing.
Would-be entrepreneurs without political connections lose out because only cronies win tenders for projects. Creative and hardworking people who want to boost the economy and create jobs, emigrate. Many Malays contribute significantly to the brain-drain.
4. Types of immigrant
If not for the millions of immigrants who helped develop the rubber and tin trade in Malaya, the Umno Baru politicians would not be here today, dictating policies to undermine the descendants of this first-wave of immigrants.
We
should be grateful to the ‘pendatangs’ who worked in the mines, estates
and in commerce, to build English companies like Sime Darby, Guthrie
and Harrisons & Crossfields. These corporations have morphed into
government-linked companies (GLCs), now controlled by Umno Baru.The recent crop of immigrants from Muslim countries do not share much of our history and are made welcome only because they help keep Umno Baru in power.
5. Malays want syariah law
Both young and old Malays are said to be opposed to syariah law, which is a bogey that Umno Baru uses to maximum effect to create fear amongst the Malays to make them vote for Umno Baru, (and not PAS) in elections.
Malays are averse to other areas of their lives being controlled by syariah laws, because they have seen that syariah laws concerning child maintenance and polygamous marriages are not strictly enforced.
6. Malays are stupid and lazy
Policies which benefit the Malays have created distrust and contempt. Non-Malays brand the Malay as lazy, stupid, ignorant and selfish. This is wrong and un-productive. Many decent Malays are disgusted with Umno Baru, but the people who insult the Malays crush any hope of solidarity. Malay bashing will not help get rid of a racist party like Umno Baru.
7. Malay quotas
Despite a lack of formal education, many of our grandparents spoke better English than most fresh Malaysian graduates and diplomatic staff.
Ordinary Malaysians are subject to educational quotas but the children of politicians, cronies and the rich, are allowed to excel and compete with other races and nationalities in elite and international schools in Malaysia, or abroad. Select Malays can hone their competitive skills, in an environment which develops their confidence. Why not other Malaysians? Meritocracy helps; quotas do not.
8. Handouts are good
Handouts are a ploy to make people waste their hard earned savings, to enrich the government and their cronies. The BR1M handout of RM500 may be accompanied by a smartphone discount. All of the RM500 is spent but more of the victim’s savings will be used to buy the smartphone. With an initial outlay of RM500, the government and his crony receives more money from the BR1M recipient.
The same abuse happens with the government book voucher scheme, where students trade them in to participating bookshops, for the value of the voucher, minus RM50 for ‘administrative’ purposes. The crony recoups the cost of the voucher from the government but is richer by RM50. The student may have received some petty cash but the loser is the taxpayer, who funds these poorly managed schemes.
9. Umno Baru rewards Malays
Umno Baru conned the rakyat into giving money to the government, as if it were doing the rakyat a favour. In exchange, the rakyat’s money was used to fund the lifestyle of the jet-setting ministerial spouses, on their expensive foreign junkets and fashion shows. The ordinary rakyat have to make do with a nasi lemak bungkus and stale curry puffs, when they are ferried in coaches, to attend Umno Baru ceramahs.
10. Urban Malays are pro-opposition
The urban Malays are made up of middle-class Malays who are content in their comfort zones, and the very poor, who are desperately trying to survive. Many urban Malays are mesmerised by the lies perpetuated by Umno Baru. They enjoy the glamour of rubbing shoulders with Umno Baru leaders at government functions.
The urban Malays may have access to the alternative media, but have no time to think about injustice, human rights, good governance and equality. They are happier pursuing material goods.
Umno Baru and the selfish agendas of its leaders, sacrificed the nation’s interest and betrayed generations of Malays. If Malaysia is to progress, we must overcome the two threats posed by Umno Baru and the complacent Malays.
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).
Obama Turned Benghazi into Al Qaeda Terrorist Hub
Obama justified his Libyan War to the American people by claiming that people of Benghazi were in danger from Gaddafi. After he succeeded in overthrowing Gaddafi, Benghazi reverted to its radical roots and became a city run by terrorist militias leading to the murder of four Americans.
And now a fifth American.
That shouldn’t be surprising because Benghazi had become a stop on the Jihadi Express.
Every week, about a dozen Syrians arrive at Benghazi’s airport for what’s described as insurgent training. When they fly out, they’re carrying fake Libyan passports, according to three officials familiar with the comings and goings of foreigners at the airport.
The accounts of the officials, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the topic, are more evidence that this city in Libya has become a regional hub for Islamist extremists seeking to hone their combat skills.
It also raises questions about the role of Libya’s homegrown militia, Ansar al Shariah, in the global jihadi movement. Ansar al Shariah has its roots in the anti-Gadhafi uprising and it’s thought to have participated in the attack last year on U.S. facilities in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. Any effort to train al Qaida-linked fighters here is unlikely to have gone forward without the backing of Ansar al Shariah, experts in the organization say.
Airport authorities can’t stop them because they themselves fear the repercussions of confronting militants. As one employee explained, pointing to an immigration official: “He is with Ansar al Shariah.”
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan conceded in a recent interview with The Washington Post that government investigations have turned up Tunisians, Algerians, Sudanese and Nigerians undergoing training in Benghazi.
Clearly Obama’s plan to overthrow Gaddafi and replace him with the fun-loving LIFG and other Muslim Brotherhood militias with historical ties to Al Qaeda was a good decision that is working out really well.
Bahrain: arrest and torture of children routine, says Amnesty
Children flash the victory sign during an opposition gathering in Bahrain (archive)
(by Alessandra Antonelli) (ANSAmed) - DUBAI - Bahrain routinely arrests and tortures minors, Amnesty International said Monday in its new report on young dissidents in the oil emirate.
Scores of young protesters, some as young as 13, have been blindfolded, beaten, tortured, and threatened with rape while in detention over the past two years, the human rights watchdog alleged. Currently, at least 110 minors are behind bars in Dry Dock adult prison on Muharraq Island. They are either in pretrial detention or awaiting formal charges. Most of them are being detained on suspicion of taking part in ''unauthorized gatherings'' and protests, burning tires or throwing Molotov cocktails at police, Amnesty said.
''By detaining minors, Bahraini authorities are showing an incredible disrespect towards their own commitments to human rights'', commented Amnesty International Deputy Director for MENA Said Aboumedouah. Bahrain is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which defines a child as anyone under 18, and which explicitly forbids torture and other degrading or inhumane treatment of minors. Bahrain has a majority Shiite population ruled by a minority Sunni monarchy. The frictions between the two exploded on a grand scale during the Arab Spring revolts of February 2011 as Shiites took to the streets to demand more democracy and an end to discrimination. Authorities brutally repressed the protests, leading to the deaths of 40 people, four of them police. The ensuing wave of mass arrests and abuses attracted international scrutiny, resulting in a partial mea culpa by authorities and a dialogue for national reconciliation, which has so far not had concrete results.
''Three years ago security forces used excessive force to quell anti-government protests, and now we are seeing a new wave of repression against children'', Aboumedouah said.
Amnesty International called on Bahrain to put in place alternative sanctions against minors if they are found guilty of offenses that are recognized as such under international standards. (ANSAmed).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)