Friday, 21 February 2014
FOR "CLAIMING TO BE AN APOSTATE,SAYING ALLAH DID NOT EXIST AND RIDICULING PROPHET MOHAMMAD"POLICE REPORT FILED AGAINST FACEBOOK PAGE "APOSTATE IN THE EAST COAST"(MALAYSIA)
Kelab
Anak Muda Indera Mahkota (KAMI) today lodged a police report against a
Facebook (FB) account, claimed to have insulted Allah, Prophet Muhammad
and Islam.
Its
chairman Muhammad Faiz Hashim said the FB account, known as "Murtad in
Pantai Timur" (Apostate in the East Coast), also claimed to be an
apostate and was rude by stating that Allah did not exist and also
ridiculed Prophet Muhammad.
"The
existence of this account was realised on Feb 17 and its contents tend
to insult Islam and Islamic clothing, besides condemning those who cover
up.
"KAMI,
being against anti-Islamic misdeeds, feels challenged, angered and
disturbed by the existence of this FB account as it insults Islam,
besides inciting others to be apostates."
Muhammad
Faiz, who is also Indera Mahkota Umno Youth chief, said this to
reporters after making the report at the Indera Mahkota police station,
here.
He
said most of status uploaded onto the FB account were provocative in
nature towards Muslims and using the East Coast dialect in the postings.
Muhammad Faiz wants the authorities to take immediate action against the offending FB account owner.
READ MORE
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/95949?tid=4Anger as extremist cleric is given a podium to preach at London university... despite history of hate speech against Jews and gays
Haitham al-Haddad spoke to students on Islamic finance at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
He has outraged moderate Muslims who are critical of him for teaching young Muslims that men and women should be segregated.
Read more ; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2563170/Anger-extremist-cleric-given-podium-preach-London-university-despite-history-hate-speech-against-women-gays.html
Parents’ group wants school-based assessment to be put on hold
PAGE,
a parents’ action group, has joined other critics of the school-based
assessment system in urging the Education Ministry to put the system on
hold. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 20, 2014.Another education pressure group has added their voice to calls that the Education Ministry put on hold the much maligned SBA, the three-year-old school-based assessment system that does away with annual exams.
Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE), a pro-English education group, has said that SBA or school-based assessment was poorly implemented even though its aims were good.
PAGE honorary secretary Tunku Munawirah Putra said the SBA’s rushed implementation has burdened teachers while parents themselves are sceptical of how student performance is assessed.
“The PBS system is a total system overhaul compared with all the other numerous changes that we have had so far.
“Yet, it is done rather hurriedly and without proper supervision. There are too many uncertainties with SBA,” Munawirah said in a statement today.
The SBA, which was introduced in 2011 at the Primary One level and in 2012 at the From One level, was aimed at replacing the old system of assessing students’ understanding of subjects via mid-term and annual exams.
It is part of the government’s efforts to produce more well-rounded students instead of those who purely excel in academics.
There are no annual exams under SBA. Each day, teachers grade pupils on a subject based on a six-band spectrum starting from band one understand” (the lowest) to band six “exemplary” (the highest).
The data has to be entered each day into a centralised computer system.
Teachers have said that the vagueness in the grading system has prevented them from accurately evaluating whether a student actually understands the material taught to them.
Munawirah referred to this and said that such a system could cause inconsistent marking among teachers not used to such a system.
“PBS requires that teachers evaluate each student individually. This can cause inconsistent marking.
“Teacher evaluation is subjective and varies among different teachers and schools.”
Another common complaint was that teachers are burdened with extra work as the process of entering SBA data every day was tedious and frustrating.
Network congestion is common in the computer system, leading many to wake up at odd hours of the day, when traffic was slow, to enter their data.
“(Teachers) should be focused on one thing, which is teaching our children. Any other chores that take away their classroom and lesson preparation time will not benefit our children,” she said.
Opposition to the SBA has led to teachers’ group Suara Guru-Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM) or Teacher-Community Voices Malaysia to plan a rally this Saturday at the Education Ministry.
The SGMM, which is said to represent teachers, wants the system abolished.
Its spokesperson Mohd Nor Izzat Mohd Johari said earlier this month that the ministry had three years to repair weaknesses in the system, but did not appear to be improving the SBA and instead was covering up its weaknesses.
“The minister’s (Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh) call to have a dialogue is hypocritical. If he wants to meet and talk to us, then come on February 22,” said Nor Izzat, referring to the protest date.
Besides the SGMM, the National Union of Teaching Professions, which has 180,000 members, has also urged that the SBA be abolished.
The National Union of the Teaching Profession said the SBA was alien to the education culture of Malaysian students who liked having their progress measured in the As, Bs and Cs of annual exams. – February 20, 2014.
Dua kali Najib dimalukan
Bukan sahaja beliau meletakkan jawatan malah Pengerusi Hindraf itu mendesak Najib berundur.
ANALYSIS
PETALING JAYA: Dua kali Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dimalukan. Kali pertama pada bulan November lalu apabila Ustaz Elias Kazim menolak perlantikan ahli majlis tertinggi Umno sedangkan Umno sudah membuat pengumuman rasmi mengenai perlantikan tersebut.
Kali kedua, minggu lepas apabila Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, P. Waythamoorthy meletakkan jawatan kerana kegagalan Najib memenuhi janji-janji dengan Barisan Bertindak Hak-hak Hindu (Hindraf).
Bukan sahaja beliau meletakkan jawatan malah Pengerusi Hindraf itu mendesak Najib berundur. Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin merupakan menteri yang pertama mempertahankan Najib.
Menurut beliau, Waythamoorthy sebaliknya perlu menyalahkan dirinya sendiri kerana gagal bekerja sebagai satu pasukan dan tidak efektif dalam membawa perjuangannya ketika diberi peluang menganggotai Kabinet.
Khairy yang juga Ketua Pemuda Umno mendedahkan, bekas Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri itu bertindak menuntut kesemua bajet kerajaan melibatkan masyarakat India untuk diletakkan di bawah kawalannya.
“Waythamoorthy ingin mengawal semua transaksi kewangan dan membelakangi kementerian-kementerian dan agensi kerajaan. Kerajaan tidak beroperasi sebegini. Apabila beliau tidak mendapat perkara tersebut, beliau berhenti dan menyalahkan Perdana Menteri,” katanya dalam akaun Twitternya semalam.
Hari ini Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein menyifatkan desakan Wathyamoorthy itu sebagai biadab dan melampaui batas.
Katanya, sikap Waythamoorthy yang cuba menyalahkan kerajaan khususnya Perdana Menteri pada hakikatnya, merupakan permainan politik beliau untuk menutup sikapnya yang mementingkan diri.
Naib Presiden Umno itu berkata tindakan beliau selaku Timbalan Menteri yang menuntut agar semua bajet kerajaan untuk masyarakat India diletakkan di bawah kawalannya mencerminkan sikap tamak dan tidak ikhlas beliau dalam memperjuangkan nasib kaum India secara holistik, seperti yang dilaung-laungkan sebelum ini.
Menurut Timbalan Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam ,P. Waythamoorthy hanya bergerak sendiri tanpa merujuk kepada MIC berhubung permasalahan kaum India sepanjang menjawat jawatan sebagai Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri.
Beliau yang juga Menteri Kesihatan berkata, jika betul Waythamoorthy ingin memperjuangkan isu-isu masyarakat India di negara ini, beliau seharusnya berusaha mendapatkan maklumat daripada MIC.
Kata beliau, sikap pemimpin Hindraf itu menggambarkan beliau seolah-olah bergerak secara peribadi dan bukan mewakili keseluruhan pemimpin masyarakat India di negara ini.
“Beliau tidak gunakan peluang yang diberikan untuk membantu masyrakat India, beliau hanya bergerak secara peribadi tanpa mengambil kira pandangan pihak lain, perlu diingat segala prosedur kerajaan kena diambil kira,” katanya dalam sidang akhbar semalam.
Bagi Ketua Penerangan PPP, Datuk A. Chandrakumanan pula, P. Waythamoorthy diminta mencermin dirinya sendiri sebelum menuding jari terhadap Perdana Menteri, kononnya gagal menaik taraf kaum India.
Beliau mendakwa, Waythamoorthy sebenarnya telah mengkhianati amanah terhadap kaum minoriti itu kerana lebih mementingkan agenda peribadi beliau.
“Siapa dia untuk mengeluarkan kenyataan agar Perdana Menteri perlu meletak jawatan? Dulu dia gunakan alasan yang sama dan membuat demonstrasi. Kemudian ‘melarikan diri’ dan hidup mewah di London.
“Kemudian dia kembali lagi, diberi pula jawatan Timbalan Menteri dan Senator. Waythamoorthy menggunakan alasan sama kononnya masyarakat India terbiar hanya kerana permintaan kewangan tidak dipenuhi, saya minta dia cermin diri dulu,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.
Nampaknya isu peletakan jawatan Warthamoorthy akan menjadi isu yang panas seminggu dua ini. Siapa yang bersalah dalam soal ini? Adakah Najib penipu seperti kata Warthamoorthy atau adakah beliau tidak faham bahawa beliau bukan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri?
Beliau adalah sekadar timbalan menteri. Apa yang timbalan menteri boleh buat? Bukannya beliau seorang menteri penuh seperti Khairy atau Hishammuddin yang ada kuasa eksekutif untuk mengawal bajet kementerian. Meletakkan semua bajet yang ada di kementerian masing -masing semata-mata untuk membantu kaum India memanglah tidak lojik.
Contohnya, pinjaman TEKUN terletak di kementerian lain, maka sudah tentu bajet itu tidak dapat dipindahkan di bawah kawalan Waythamoorthy. Begitu juga peruntukan sekolah tamil terletak di bawah Kementerian Pelajaran. Takkan peruntukan itu hendak dipindah ke Jabatan Perdana Menteri.
Tambahan pula takkan Najib mahu membelakangkan MIC kerana MIC dianggap parti yang mewakili orang India di Malaysia. Seperti kata Dr Subramaniam, Waythamoorthy sepatutnya merujuk kepada MIC untuk mendapat maklumat mengenai bantuan kerajaan kepada orang India.
Dari dahulu ramai yang berkata langkah Najib melantik beliau sebagai timbalan menteri memang satu tindakan yang silap kerana Najib mengiktiraf Hindraf sedangkan pertubuhan itu tidak berdaftar dengan ROS. Sudah tentu tindakan Najib itu menyinggung MIC yang begitu lama setia dalam Barisan Nasional.
Oleh itu biarlah Waythamoorthy berada di luar kerajaan. Kalau beliau rasa Hindraf itu kuat, maka biarlah Hindraf mencabar MIC dalam PRU ke 14 nanti. Biar masyarakat India menentukan siapa yang patut mewakili mereka, sama ada MIC atau Hindraf?
ANALYSIS
PETALING JAYA: Dua kali Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dimalukan. Kali pertama pada bulan November lalu apabila Ustaz Elias Kazim menolak perlantikan ahli majlis tertinggi Umno sedangkan Umno sudah membuat pengumuman rasmi mengenai perlantikan tersebut.Kali kedua, minggu lepas apabila Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, P. Waythamoorthy meletakkan jawatan kerana kegagalan Najib memenuhi janji-janji dengan Barisan Bertindak Hak-hak Hindu (Hindraf).
Bukan sahaja beliau meletakkan jawatan malah Pengerusi Hindraf itu mendesak Najib berundur. Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin merupakan menteri yang pertama mempertahankan Najib.
Menurut beliau, Waythamoorthy sebaliknya perlu menyalahkan dirinya sendiri kerana gagal bekerja sebagai satu pasukan dan tidak efektif dalam membawa perjuangannya ketika diberi peluang menganggotai Kabinet.
Khairy yang juga Ketua Pemuda Umno mendedahkan, bekas Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri itu bertindak menuntut kesemua bajet kerajaan melibatkan masyarakat India untuk diletakkan di bawah kawalannya.
“Waythamoorthy ingin mengawal semua transaksi kewangan dan membelakangi kementerian-kementerian dan agensi kerajaan. Kerajaan tidak beroperasi sebegini. Apabila beliau tidak mendapat perkara tersebut, beliau berhenti dan menyalahkan Perdana Menteri,” katanya dalam akaun Twitternya semalam.
Hari ini Menteri Pertahanan, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein menyifatkan desakan Wathyamoorthy itu sebagai biadab dan melampaui batas.
Katanya, sikap Waythamoorthy yang cuba menyalahkan kerajaan khususnya Perdana Menteri pada hakikatnya, merupakan permainan politik beliau untuk menutup sikapnya yang mementingkan diri.
Naib Presiden Umno itu berkata tindakan beliau selaku Timbalan Menteri yang menuntut agar semua bajet kerajaan untuk masyarakat India diletakkan di bawah kawalannya mencerminkan sikap tamak dan tidak ikhlas beliau dalam memperjuangkan nasib kaum India secara holistik, seperti yang dilaung-laungkan sebelum ini.
Menurut Timbalan Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam ,P. Waythamoorthy hanya bergerak sendiri tanpa merujuk kepada MIC berhubung permasalahan kaum India sepanjang menjawat jawatan sebagai Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri.
Beliau yang juga Menteri Kesihatan berkata, jika betul Waythamoorthy ingin memperjuangkan isu-isu masyarakat India di negara ini, beliau seharusnya berusaha mendapatkan maklumat daripada MIC.
Kata beliau, sikap pemimpin Hindraf itu menggambarkan beliau seolah-olah bergerak secara peribadi dan bukan mewakili keseluruhan pemimpin masyarakat India di negara ini.
“Beliau tidak gunakan peluang yang diberikan untuk membantu masyrakat India, beliau hanya bergerak secara peribadi tanpa mengambil kira pandangan pihak lain, perlu diingat segala prosedur kerajaan kena diambil kira,” katanya dalam sidang akhbar semalam.
Bagi Ketua Penerangan PPP, Datuk A. Chandrakumanan pula, P. Waythamoorthy diminta mencermin dirinya sendiri sebelum menuding jari terhadap Perdana Menteri, kononnya gagal menaik taraf kaum India.
Beliau mendakwa, Waythamoorthy sebenarnya telah mengkhianati amanah terhadap kaum minoriti itu kerana lebih mementingkan agenda peribadi beliau.
“Siapa dia untuk mengeluarkan kenyataan agar Perdana Menteri perlu meletak jawatan? Dulu dia gunakan alasan yang sama dan membuat demonstrasi. Kemudian ‘melarikan diri’ dan hidup mewah di London.
“Kemudian dia kembali lagi, diberi pula jawatan Timbalan Menteri dan Senator. Waythamoorthy menggunakan alasan sama kononnya masyarakat India terbiar hanya kerana permintaan kewangan tidak dipenuhi, saya minta dia cermin diri dulu,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.
Nampaknya isu peletakan jawatan Warthamoorthy akan menjadi isu yang panas seminggu dua ini. Siapa yang bersalah dalam soal ini? Adakah Najib penipu seperti kata Warthamoorthy atau adakah beliau tidak faham bahawa beliau bukan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri?
Beliau adalah sekadar timbalan menteri. Apa yang timbalan menteri boleh buat? Bukannya beliau seorang menteri penuh seperti Khairy atau Hishammuddin yang ada kuasa eksekutif untuk mengawal bajet kementerian. Meletakkan semua bajet yang ada di kementerian masing -masing semata-mata untuk membantu kaum India memanglah tidak lojik.
Contohnya, pinjaman TEKUN terletak di kementerian lain, maka sudah tentu bajet itu tidak dapat dipindahkan di bawah kawalan Waythamoorthy. Begitu juga peruntukan sekolah tamil terletak di bawah Kementerian Pelajaran. Takkan peruntukan itu hendak dipindah ke Jabatan Perdana Menteri.
Tambahan pula takkan Najib mahu membelakangkan MIC kerana MIC dianggap parti yang mewakili orang India di Malaysia. Seperti kata Dr Subramaniam, Waythamoorthy sepatutnya merujuk kepada MIC untuk mendapat maklumat mengenai bantuan kerajaan kepada orang India.
Dari dahulu ramai yang berkata langkah Najib melantik beliau sebagai timbalan menteri memang satu tindakan yang silap kerana Najib mengiktiraf Hindraf sedangkan pertubuhan itu tidak berdaftar dengan ROS. Sudah tentu tindakan Najib itu menyinggung MIC yang begitu lama setia dalam Barisan Nasional.
Oleh itu biarlah Waythamoorthy berada di luar kerajaan. Kalau beliau rasa Hindraf itu kuat, maka biarlah Hindraf mencabar MIC dalam PRU ke 14 nanti. Biar masyarakat India menentukan siapa yang patut mewakili mereka, sama ada MIC atau Hindraf?
Petisyen pilihan raya: Tapah kekal milik BN
Mahkamah pilihan raya sekali lagi menolak petisyen yang difail calon PKR untuk membatalkan keputusan pilihan raya umum kawasan Parlimen Tapah
IPOH: Barisan Nasional (BN) mengekalkan kemenangan bagi kawasan Parlimen Tapah selepas Mahkamah Pilihan Raya di sini sekali lagi menolak petisyen yang difailkan calon PKR untuk membatalkan keputusan pilihan raya umum ke-13 (PRU13) bagi kawasan itu dengan kos.
Hakim Abdul Rahman Sebli yang membuat keputusan itu berkata petisyen yang dikemukakan K Vasantha Kumar mempunyai kecacatan dan fakta yang diperjelaskan adalah tidak sempurna.
Dalam penghakimannya, Abdul Rahman berkata pempetisyen mendakwa bahawa berlaku sogokan ketika PRU13, namun tidak dinyatakan secara terperinci siapa yang melakukannya.
Petisyen itu juga tidak menyentuh mengenai keputusan pilihan raya dengan tidak memperjelaskan secara terperinci bagaimana kekalahan itu berlaku, katanya.
Dengan itu, mahkamah memutuskan responden pertama iaitu Datuk M. Saravanan daripada BN dipilih sebagai anggota Parlimen Tapah dengan sewajarnya.
Abdul Rahman juga memerintahkan pempetisyen membayar RM50,000 kepada Saravanan dan RM30,000 masing-masing kepada responden kedua iaitu Pegawai Pengurus Bahagian Pilihan Raya Parlimen Tapah Razali Bakar dan responden ketiga Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR).
Peguam Abu Bakar As Sidiq mengetuai barisan peguam Saravanan dan Peguam Kanan Persekutuan Alice Loke serta Khairul Nizam Abu Bakar mewakili Razali dan SPR.
Pada 23 Dis lepas, Mahkamah Persekutuan memutuskan petisyen pilihan raya bagi kerusi Parlimen Tapah diremit semula ke Mahkamah Pilihan Raya untuk mendengar merit kes selepas membenarkan rayuan petisyen pilihan raya yang difailkan pembangkang.
Saravanan menewaskan Vasantha, dua calon Bebas Ridzuan Bani dan Shaharuzzaman Bistamam dengan majoriti 7,927 undi bagi kerusi Parlimen Tapah.
- Bernama
IPOH: Barisan Nasional (BN) mengekalkan kemenangan bagi kawasan Parlimen Tapah selepas Mahkamah Pilihan Raya di sini sekali lagi menolak petisyen yang difailkan calon PKR untuk membatalkan keputusan pilihan raya umum ke-13 (PRU13) bagi kawasan itu dengan kos.Hakim Abdul Rahman Sebli yang membuat keputusan itu berkata petisyen yang dikemukakan K Vasantha Kumar mempunyai kecacatan dan fakta yang diperjelaskan adalah tidak sempurna.
Dalam penghakimannya, Abdul Rahman berkata pempetisyen mendakwa bahawa berlaku sogokan ketika PRU13, namun tidak dinyatakan secara terperinci siapa yang melakukannya.
Petisyen itu juga tidak menyentuh mengenai keputusan pilihan raya dengan tidak memperjelaskan secara terperinci bagaimana kekalahan itu berlaku, katanya.
Dengan itu, mahkamah memutuskan responden pertama iaitu Datuk M. Saravanan daripada BN dipilih sebagai anggota Parlimen Tapah dengan sewajarnya.
Abdul Rahman juga memerintahkan pempetisyen membayar RM50,000 kepada Saravanan dan RM30,000 masing-masing kepada responden kedua iaitu Pegawai Pengurus Bahagian Pilihan Raya Parlimen Tapah Razali Bakar dan responden ketiga Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR).
Peguam Abu Bakar As Sidiq mengetuai barisan peguam Saravanan dan Peguam Kanan Persekutuan Alice Loke serta Khairul Nizam Abu Bakar mewakili Razali dan SPR.
Pada 23 Dis lepas, Mahkamah Persekutuan memutuskan petisyen pilihan raya bagi kerusi Parlimen Tapah diremit semula ke Mahkamah Pilihan Raya untuk mendengar merit kes selepas membenarkan rayuan petisyen pilihan raya yang difailkan pembangkang.
Saravanan menewaskan Vasantha, dua calon Bebas Ridzuan Bani dan Shaharuzzaman Bistamam dengan majoriti 7,927 undi bagi kerusi Parlimen Tapah.
- Bernama
Jeffrey: Najib must go, Ku Li best replacement
Waythamoorthy's call for Najib to quit as PM gets support from Binkor assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan.
KOTA KINABALU: Many in Sabah and Sarawak will not shed any tears if Najib Tun Razak quits as Prime Minister, claims STAR Sabah chief Jeffrey Kitingan.
Backing the call by Hindraf Makkal Sakthi chief P Waythamoorthy for Najib to quit, Kitingan described the prime minister as the worst leader in the history of the Federation of Malaysia.
“No one can do any worse after him. His recent faux pas on kangkung tells all. Najib is no leader. In fact, he’s a dangerous person since he only thinks of his own survival. It’s not even politics.
“A leader is one who solves problems, not creates them,” said the outspoken Sabah politician who is also the Bingkor assemblyman.
Kitingan recalled Najib thundering not so long ago: “Kita mesti mempertahankan kalimah Allah untuk kaum Muslim.” (We must defend the word ‘Allah’ for the Muslims).
“How can such a person pretend to be a prime minister for All? The warped sense of logic is telling,” stated Kitingan in a statement here.
He said another indication of Najib’s lack of credibility as a leader is his flip-flopping position on the Hindraf-Barisan Nasional MOU, the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims and indecision on the call to review the compliance of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Kitingan also took Najib to task for being silent on the plight of the flood victims in Sabah.
“While Sabah is going through the worst flood in living memory, we have yet to hear from the Prime Minister and Petronas on any form of relief for the flood victims. This is tantamount to a crime against humanity.
Calling his administration “the Malayan Government in Putrajaya” he pointed out how most of the revenue of Sabah and Sarawak was taken away and left the people of the two states among the poorest in the federation.
“If Najib visits the flood victims in Sabah, Umno’s so-called deposit state along with Sarawak, the sky will fall down,” he said sarcastically.
“Star Sabah urges Najib to think of the country, and not just himself, and make way before he does further damage to the economy, race relations and the integrity of the federation before Sabah and Sarawak rethink their position in it after over 50 years of neo-colonialism.”
Is RCI report being doctored?
If Najib refuses to make way, he said the Umno Supreme Council could meet and sack him as the party president and put in an alternative.
“Under the circumstances, Star Sabah can think of no better candidate than Tengku Razaleigh in Umno to be prime minister,” he said.
He reminded that the Gua Musang MP would have become prime minister in 1987 had the High Court discounted the votes from the 30 illegal branches which went to incumbent Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Had this been done, the history of the federation would have been very much different.
“Tengku Razaleigh would have held, for one, the long-delayed Review of the compliance of the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” said Kitingan.
“The lackluster Najib premiership is a historical opportunity for the Umno Supreme Council to rectify a grievous wrong-doing done by the Court to Tengku Razaleigh and draft him in as the prime minister to finish Najib’s term, before he (Razaleigh) becomes too old for the job, and keep him on for another term if the BN can survive the 14th General Election in 2018.
“If the Umno Supreme Council wants to be sympathetic to Najib, they can pack him off to Mongolia as Ambassador. That would be poetic justice indeed,” he added.
Touching on the long delay in the release of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, Kitingan said that unless the original report is now being doctored and sanitised by Putrajaya there was no why it had not been released.
“It’s unlikely that the report, if at all released, will mention the thousands of illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls with MyKads which they are not entitled to hold under the law and the Constitution,” he said.
KOTA KINABALU: Many in Sabah and Sarawak will not shed any tears if Najib Tun Razak quits as Prime Minister, claims STAR Sabah chief Jeffrey Kitingan.Backing the call by Hindraf Makkal Sakthi chief P Waythamoorthy for Najib to quit, Kitingan described the prime minister as the worst leader in the history of the Federation of Malaysia.
“No one can do any worse after him. His recent faux pas on kangkung tells all. Najib is no leader. In fact, he’s a dangerous person since he only thinks of his own survival. It’s not even politics.
“A leader is one who solves problems, not creates them,” said the outspoken Sabah politician who is also the Bingkor assemblyman.
Kitingan recalled Najib thundering not so long ago: “Kita mesti mempertahankan kalimah Allah untuk kaum Muslim.” (We must defend the word ‘Allah’ for the Muslims).
“How can such a person pretend to be a prime minister for All? The warped sense of logic is telling,” stated Kitingan in a statement here.
He said another indication of Najib’s lack of credibility as a leader is his flip-flopping position on the Hindraf-Barisan Nasional MOU, the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims and indecision on the call to review the compliance of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Kitingan also took Najib to task for being silent on the plight of the flood victims in Sabah.
“While Sabah is going through the worst flood in living memory, we have yet to hear from the Prime Minister and Petronas on any form of relief for the flood victims. This is tantamount to a crime against humanity.
Calling his administration “the Malayan Government in Putrajaya” he pointed out how most of the revenue of Sabah and Sarawak was taken away and left the people of the two states among the poorest in the federation.
“If Najib visits the flood victims in Sabah, Umno’s so-called deposit state along with Sarawak, the sky will fall down,” he said sarcastically.
“Star Sabah urges Najib to think of the country, and not just himself, and make way before he does further damage to the economy, race relations and the integrity of the federation before Sabah and Sarawak rethink their position in it after over 50 years of neo-colonialism.”
Is RCI report being doctored?
If Najib refuses to make way, he said the Umno Supreme Council could meet and sack him as the party president and put in an alternative.
“Under the circumstances, Star Sabah can think of no better candidate than Tengku Razaleigh in Umno to be prime minister,” he said.
He reminded that the Gua Musang MP would have become prime minister in 1987 had the High Court discounted the votes from the 30 illegal branches which went to incumbent Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Had this been done, the history of the federation would have been very much different.
“Tengku Razaleigh would have held, for one, the long-delayed Review of the compliance of the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” said Kitingan.
“The lackluster Najib premiership is a historical opportunity for the Umno Supreme Council to rectify a grievous wrong-doing done by the Court to Tengku Razaleigh and draft him in as the prime minister to finish Najib’s term, before he (Razaleigh) becomes too old for the job, and keep him on for another term if the BN can survive the 14th General Election in 2018.
“If the Umno Supreme Council wants to be sympathetic to Najib, they can pack him off to Mongolia as Ambassador. That would be poetic justice indeed,” he added.
Touching on the long delay in the release of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, Kitingan said that unless the original report is now being doctored and sanitised by Putrajaya there was no why it had not been released.
“It’s unlikely that the report, if at all released, will mention the thousands of illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls with MyKads which they are not entitled to hold under the law and the Constitution,” he said.
In the Chinese Press: Waytha denied a RM4.5b allocation?
The source said the Hindraf leader had demanded the government to set up an Indian community unit with 531 personnel and an annual allocation of RM70 million to cover the salaries and operation fees.
In addition, he also asked for an annual allocation of RM4.5 billion for the Indian community.
However, the source explained, the government could not approve such a huge amount of allocation without a practical proposal.
“He wanted to enroll staff, however, he does not have any experience in promoting community enhancement program,” the source said.
Apart from that, the source also alleged that Waythamoorthy wanted to take full charge of the proposed Indian community unit besides making a request that 300 vacancies out of the total (531) be filled by Hindraf members.
The daily was also told that Waythamoorthy had carped about the selection of the committee members of the Expert Steering Committee (ESC) that Hindraf and the government had agreed to set up.
The committee was meant to oversee the implementation of the programmes listed in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Hindraf and the government.
Yet, after finalising the list of candidates, Waythamoorthy has failed to submit Hindraf’s list of representatives and forced the first meeting of the ESC to be postponed to the next day.
Nevertheless, the meeting did not take place in the end as he had called it off at the last minute unilaterally, the source alleged further.
As such, the source believed Waythamoorthy had tendered his resignation due to his unfulfilled demands.
“When the government refused to implement the programmes under the MoU unprofessionally, and unable to allocate fundings without a check and balance mechanism, Waythamoorthy resigned.”
As rich get richer, Mokhzani breaks into billionaires’ top 10
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, the son of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has finally joined the ranks of the country’s top 10 richest people as the nation’s magnates continue to widen the gap with the rest of Malaysia.
According to a new list of Malaysia’s 40 richest tycoons released by the Malaysian Business magazine, the SapuraKencana Petroleum mogul added another RM1.59 billion to his coffers over the last year to raise his estimated wealth to RM4.22 billion — good enough for ninth place on the list.
In 2012, Mokhzani had emerged with about 15 per cent of SapuraKencana after his Kencana Petroluem Bhd merged with SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd. He later disposed of 90 million shares at for an estimated RM387 million.
Mokhzani relinquished his executive positions in SapuraKencana late last year and instead remains only as a non-executive director.
The two richest Malaysians remain “sugar king” Tan Sri Robert Kuok (RM54 billion) and T. Ananda Krishnan (RM33 billion) by a wide margin, with the telecommunications and entertainment tycoon nearly twice as rich as third-placed Tan Sri Teh Hong Pow of Public Bank fame.
Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary was fifth richest with RM11 billion, while AmBank chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim capped off the top 10.
Berjaya’s Tan Sri Vincent Tan foray into the English Premier League with Cardiff City also appears to be taking a toll on his bank balance, with the gaming magnate managing only 20th spot with his RM1.9 billion.
“One interesting fact is that since 2002, 81 tycoons have joined the 40 Richest Malaysians list and out of that, 15 have managed to remain on it continuously,” the magazine said in an accompanying release.
It added that there were now two more local billionaires, bringing the number to 33, while the combined wealth of the top 40 richest Malaysians weighed in at RM217.8 billion or some 11 per cent better than they had been in the previous year.
According to a previous list released by Forbes last year, Mokhzani was the 15th wealthiest person in Malaysia. Forbes also differed on Vincent Tan’s net worth, listing him as the tenth richest man in the country.
Forbes is due to release an updated list next month.
Malaysian Business began tracking the worth of Malaysia’s wealthiest people in 2002.
More useful and urgent for IGP Khalid to form a special division to stamp out reckless incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred to cause racial and religious strife than to set up a department on SOP compliance
By Lim Kit Siang
On Monday, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar announced that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is to set up a new department, to be known as the Integrity and Standard Compliance Department, to improve Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) compliance, including disciplinary procedures for police personnel.
The new department is expected to be fully operational in two months and would be led by a director with the rank of commissioner.
Khalid said the setting up of the department has been approved in principle and the police are in the midst of discussing with the Public Services Department on the recruitment of staff.
He said that with the department in place, the police hoped to improve the SOP compliance in all aspects of assignment, including disciplinary procedures for police personnel. Prior to this, disciplinary matters and procedures for police personnel were managed by the Management Department.
The proposed new Integrity and Standard Compliance Department has been subjected to severe, valid and pertinent criticism by the chief of the anti-crime group, MyWatch, R. Sanjeevan, who said the new department would only result in overlapping duties and a further waste of public funds for the hiring of new staff or the promotion of existing officers, when what the PDRM needs is not a new department to check its officers on SOP compliance but a total revamp of its existing set-up to improve crime-fighting efforts.
Sanjeevan contends that all matters involving police integrity and procedure compliance can be handled by PDRM’s existing Management Department, which already handles disciplinary breaches.
As a result, the proposed new Integrity and Standard Compliance Department will only benefit a few people within the PDRM where they’ll be given promotions but end result remains zero.
I fully support Sanjeevan’s contention that it is the PDRM’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that needs the most attention as at present, only 18 per cent of the 112,583-strong police force is tasked to fight crime as CID officers.
A bulk of the police force ― over 50 per cent ― are desk-bound officers designated to doing office work like clerical and administrative duties, while 34 per cent are tasked to internal security and public order.
That is to say, for every 1 police officer in the CID fighting crime, there are about 5 police officers who are doing office work.
There can be no disagreement from the overwhemjing majority of Malaysians, for instance, that the top priority police must to fight crime and to maintain the peace and harmony in the country.
It is more useful and urgent, for instance, for IGP Khalid to form a special division to stamp out reckless incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred to cause racial and religious disharmony and strife than to set up a department on SOP compliance.
One reason why Malaysia’s racial and religious peace and harmony has become a matter of grave concern is the failure of the police in the past nine months to carry out their priority duties to keep a firm check on reckless and irresponsible elements in the country seeking to undermine the fabric of Malaysian society through incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities, hatred, conflict and tension.
It has reached a stage where the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) has called on the authorities to “act swiftly” when dealing with racial and religious sensitive incidents, warning that inaction could lead to “serious consequences” and that rising religious tensions could eventually hamper efforts to promote national unity.
NUCC said: “The NUCC urges the government to uphold the rule of law and to actively promote national unity by taking prompt action against incendiary statements and actions which are provocative and can lead to conflict and tension with serious consequences affecting peace, harmony and national unity.”
One of the major government players which had abdicated its responsibility to “act swiftly” when dealing with racial and religious sensitive incidents resulting in the country faced with “serious consequences” is undoubtedly the police, headed by Khalid Abu Bakar as the IGP in the past nine months.
When will Khalid live up to his duties as IGP for all Malaysians and not just for UMNO or Barisan Nasional?
On Monday, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar announced that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is to set up a new department, to be known as the Integrity and Standard Compliance Department, to improve Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) compliance, including disciplinary procedures for police personnel.
The new department is expected to be fully operational in two months and would be led by a director with the rank of commissioner.
Khalid said the setting up of the department has been approved in principle and the police are in the midst of discussing with the Public Services Department on the recruitment of staff.
He said that with the department in place, the police hoped to improve the SOP compliance in all aspects of assignment, including disciplinary procedures for police personnel. Prior to this, disciplinary matters and procedures for police personnel were managed by the Management Department.
The proposed new Integrity and Standard Compliance Department has been subjected to severe, valid and pertinent criticism by the chief of the anti-crime group, MyWatch, R. Sanjeevan, who said the new department would only result in overlapping duties and a further waste of public funds for the hiring of new staff or the promotion of existing officers, when what the PDRM needs is not a new department to check its officers on SOP compliance but a total revamp of its existing set-up to improve crime-fighting efforts.
Sanjeevan contends that all matters involving police integrity and procedure compliance can be handled by PDRM’s existing Management Department, which already handles disciplinary breaches.
As a result, the proposed new Integrity and Standard Compliance Department will only benefit a few people within the PDRM where they’ll be given promotions but end result remains zero.
I fully support Sanjeevan’s contention that it is the PDRM’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that needs the most attention as at present, only 18 per cent of the 112,583-strong police force is tasked to fight crime as CID officers.
A bulk of the police force ― over 50 per cent ― are desk-bound officers designated to doing office work like clerical and administrative duties, while 34 per cent are tasked to internal security and public order.
That is to say, for every 1 police officer in the CID fighting crime, there are about 5 police officers who are doing office work.
There can be no disagreement from the overwhemjing majority of Malaysians, for instance, that the top priority police must to fight crime and to maintain the peace and harmony in the country.
It is more useful and urgent, for instance, for IGP Khalid to form a special division to stamp out reckless incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred to cause racial and religious disharmony and strife than to set up a department on SOP compliance.
One reason why Malaysia’s racial and religious peace and harmony has become a matter of grave concern is the failure of the police in the past nine months to carry out their priority duties to keep a firm check on reckless and irresponsible elements in the country seeking to undermine the fabric of Malaysian society through incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities, hatred, conflict and tension.
It has reached a stage where the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) has called on the authorities to “act swiftly” when dealing with racial and religious sensitive incidents, warning that inaction could lead to “serious consequences” and that rising religious tensions could eventually hamper efforts to promote national unity.
NUCC said: “The NUCC urges the government to uphold the rule of law and to actively promote national unity by taking prompt action against incendiary statements and actions which are provocative and can lead to conflict and tension with serious consequences affecting peace, harmony and national unity.”
One of the major government players which had abdicated its responsibility to “act swiftly” when dealing with racial and religious sensitive incidents resulting in the country faced with “serious consequences” is undoubtedly the police, headed by Khalid Abu Bakar as the IGP in the past nine months.
When will Khalid live up to his duties as IGP for all Malaysians and not just for UMNO or Barisan Nasional?
Court throws out polls petitions against Zahid
The New Straits Times
KUALA
LUMPUR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi retained his Bagan
Datoh constituency when the Election Court yesterday dismissed election
petitions by PKR candidate Madhi Hasan and voter Azmi Sulaiman.
Judge
Datuk Hasnah Mohammed Hashim ruled that the court agreed with the
preliminary objection raised by Zahid that the petitioners' allegations
of electoral corruption against him were not supported by sufficient
facts.
"There cannot be mere conjecture. The petitioners must be able to state the facts (supporting the allegations) clearly."
Hasnah cited the
example of Madhi failing to prove that there was a nexus between Zahid
and one R. Supramaniam, who allegedly gave RM100 and five bags of rice
to influence a Bagan Datoh voter named Mustofa Saifudin.
In
prior proceedings, Madhi had argued that the illegal practice by
Supramaniam, who he alleged was Zahid's agent, took place on April 19
last year, a day before nomination day.
On
Azmi's allegation that Zahid gave money and rice to 24,000 Barisan
Nasional party workers to ensure his electoral victory, Hasnah said Azmi
had failed to identify any of the party workers involved.
After Hasnah dismissed both petitions, she ordered Madhi and Azmi to each pay RM25,000 in costs to Zahid.
Madhi said he would discuss with his lawyer on whether to file an appeal.
Malaysia Willing To Provide Expertise In Developing Rubber Estates In Cambodia - Muhyiddin
From Mohd Yusof SaariPHNOM PENH, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is prepared to share its expertise with Cambodia to develop the rubber plantation sector and padi processing in that country, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister said that as a country with fertile land and extensive padi plantation, Cambodia hoped to seek Malaysia's expertise in these fields and the request had been made by Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Sen himself.
"There is strong interest here for us to participate in the rubber plantation as they have suitable agricultural areas with fertile land for us to develop.
"Cambodia too has extensive padi land with production exceeding five million tons annually, but they don't have the capacity to process them because of the lack of rice mills," he said at a media conference on the first day of his three-day official visit to Cambodia at his hotel, here today.
Earlier, Muhyiddin made a courtesy call on Hun Sen at his office at the Peace Palace, Russian Boulevard here, followed by a meeting with Cambodia's Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Dr Hang Chuon.
The Deputy Prime Minister said he had informed Hun Sen that several parties including the Federal Land Consolidation & Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra), which has vast experience in the industry, had expressed its interest to explore the rubber industry in Cambodia.
In padi processing, he said Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas) had also initiated measures to hold discussions with the relevant parties to explore the market and set up rice processing mills and other by-products in that country.
Muhyiddin said the lack of factories, warehouses and packing facilities had resulted in Cambodia losing about three million tons of processed rice because a major portion of the padi harvested had been sold without being processed.
He said the meeting had also opened up business opportunities to industry players such as electric power generation, infrastructure and highway construction which had received special attention from the Cambodian government.
"I notice that the potentials for trade, investment and cooperation in various fields in Cambodia is very encouraging, and what is even more encouraging, Prime Minister Hun Sen himself is very keen to establish cooperation with us," he said.
Meanwhile, during bilateral discussions between the Education Ministry and Dr Hang, Muhyiddin also represented Malaysia in signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of higher education between the two countries.
Commenting on the MoU, Muhyiddin said it would enable a wider work scope to be drawn up beginning with pre-school right up to higher education and thus boosting further the quality and standard of education in both countries.
The Deputy Prime Minister said among the types of cooperation that could be explored were teacher training, curriculum development, inter-university research, and providing places for technical training for Cambodian students in Malaysia.
He said efforts too were being taken to implement credit transfers between public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) in Malaysia and Cambodia.
"In terms of education, Prime Minister Hun Sen wants us to train more (Cambodian students) besides giving accreditation and credit transfers for certain courses carried out in their universities here," he added.
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Najib Looking Forward To Open Second Penang Bridge
KUALA
LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
is looking forward to the opening of the Second Penang Bridge which is
scheduled for early next month."Plans for the Second Penang Bridge was first unveiled in 2006. I am looking forward to opening it to the public next month," he said in his latest tweet Wednesday.
The 24-km bridge - of which 17km is above the sea and seven kilometres over land - was designed with environmental sustainability in mind and links Batu Kawan on the mainland to Batu Maung on the island.
Once opened, it is expected to reduce congestion on the existing Penang Bridge by 25 per cent.
The RM4.5-billion bridge, a Federal government project, is the longest in Southeast Asia and is expected to be able to handle 100,000 vehicles daily.
The bridge was originally planned for completion on Nov 8 last year and to be opened to the public by the end of November, but was postponed to this year.
Pregnant teenager alleging gang-rape charged with adultery in Sudan
A pregnant teenager who says she was gang-raped has been charged with adultery in Sudan, and faces a possible sentence of death by stoning. The country's judiciary has received millions of pounds in aid from the UK.The 18-year-old Ethiopian, who is nine months pregnant, is being held in a police cell and until recently was sleeping on a bare concrete floor without a mattress or suitable food or clothing, according to the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) network.
SIHA accused Sudan of discriminating against the alleged victim because she is both a woman and a migrant, and demanded her immediate release or transfer to hospital.
The young divorcee claims that last August, when she was about three months pregnant, she was lured to an empty property in the capital, Khartoum, and violently gang-raped by seven men. She reported the incident to a police officer at the time, but he decided against pursuing an investigation because of the Eid holiday. He was initially charged with negligence, but this was dropped on Tuesday.
According to SIHA, the attack was filmed by one of the men on his phone and circulated on social media six months later, leading to the arrest of both the alleged perpetrators and victim. The case came to court earlier this month. Five men, understood to be between 18 to 22, are accused of adultery; a sixth, who says he did not have sex with the woman, is accused of gross indecency.
The woman is charged with adultery, although she denied the charges and is pleading not guilty on the basis that the sexual act was against her will. Her attempt to make a complaint of rape has been denied on the technicality that she is under investigation on other charges and she should have complained at the time of the incident. Her request for bail has been denied by the attorney general.
"The intention to place culpability on the part of the victim is of great concern and seeks to deflect and reduce accountability of the perpetrators, but more disturbing is that the charge of adultery carries with it the potential sentence of death by stoning if found guilty," SIHA said.
Although rarely carried out, SIHA noted, the sentence of stoning for adultery has been handed down twice in recent years, against two women, Intisar Sharif and Laila Jamool, in 2012. Following appeals in both cases, the sentences were overturned.
The Sudanese government has been criticised for the mistreatment and marginalisation of foreign nationals, with Ethiopians often a target of xenophobia. SIHA said the Sudanese media has sought to undermine the alleged rape victim by falsely claiming that she has HIV and stating that she is a prostitute. "There have even been cynical attempts to falsely claim that the men were accidently prescribed hallucinogenic drugs by a chemist beforehand."
Hala Alkarib, regional director of the SIHA network, said: "Impunity and silence on crimes of sexual violence committed against IDPs [internally displaced persons], migrants and impoverished women in Sudan has been a pattern for years.
"This case brings to light the obstacles in bringing complaints of rape, let alone negotiating the legal system through to prosecution. There is an urgent need for article 149 of the criminal code referring to rape to be reformed to protect victims and pursue justice."
She added: "Successful prosecution of rape is the exception as opposed to the norm and most certainly does not reflect the level of incidence. Instead victims face the risk that they will instead be prosecuted for adultery, being re-vicitmised by the judicial system, and threatened with the ultimate sentence of death by stoning."
The case is likely to raise questions over Britain's donor support for the justice system in Sudan. A Department for International Development (DfID) document says it will provide up to £20.6m over the period March 2010 to March 2014 to fund a "safety and access to justice programme" in Sudan and South Sudan.
The programme is intended to support rule of law partners to "improve the daily experience of people requiring access to security and justice through infrastructure development and by strengthening the institutions' ability to respond effectively and efficiently to the requirements of social peace and tranquillity".
But the support to Sudan was cut off last month, earlier than planned. A DfID spokesman said on Tuesday: "We condemn absolutely all human rights abuses and stoning is an abhorrent practice. DfID recently ended its support to the Sudanese judiciary in light of the deteriorating operating environment and our deep concerns about human rights abuses."
Last year a Somali woman who alleged she was raped was sentenced to a year in jail. She was later acquitted after a worldwide outcry.
Putrajaya shoots down Tamil secondary school proposal in Penang
The Penang government today expressed disappointment that its application to set up the first Tamil secondary school in the country in Bagan Dalam in Butterworth has been rejected.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (pic) said the state's sincere offer to set aside a piece of land for the building of the school was not considered by Putrajaya or Barisan Nasional's Indian-based party, MIC.
"We are only asking for one Tamil secondary school in the whole country. It will not jeopardise anyone.
"One Tamil secondary school is not excessive. We would not be able to sustain more than one anyway," he told a press conference at his Komtar office today.
Lim said he will make an appeal to Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, before taking the matter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Asked what other options the state has in pursuing the matter further apart from going to Muhyiddin or Najib, Lim said the state cannot do much as the setting up of the school, even as a private institution, would require a license from Putrajaya.
"We also would not have the funds," said Lim, who is the Bagan MP.
The state was informed via a letter dated January 8 from Education Department director-general Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof that there are no provision under the Education Act 1996 for the setting up Tamil secondary schools.
The letter stated that the act only provides for national secondary schools to cater to the education needs of all races in the country.
Lim said he wrote to the ministry last year about the application several times, explaining that a Tamil secondary school will cater to the education needs of the Indian community in Bagan Dalam, which makes up 24% of the total constituents, but the state never received feedback until Khair's letter.
He said Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan was not telling the truth when he reportedly denied receiving any letters about the application from the Penang government.
"He said there were no letters from Penang, but then the education department has actually sent us a reply. Kamalanathan should not lie," he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, who is also state education exco, said the state had even appealed to BN parties to put politics aside and give their support for the setting up the school.
However, he said even the Indian-based parties did not voice their support and it was the Chinese educationist group Dong Zong that backed the state's proposal instead.
"I think the federal government fears that this will set a precedent and other places may request for Tamil secondary schools too," he said.
To this, Lim quipped: "No. I think if we have it in Penang, then they can forget about Penang." – February 19, 2014.
Muslim NGO urges police action on Utusan, Isma
Jihad for Justice accuses both of threatening racial harmony.
KUALA LUMPUR: A Muslim NGO today urged the police to take stern action against Utusan Malaysia and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) for allegedly threatening racial harmony in the country.
Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, speaking as president of Jihad for Justice, told reporters here that he lodged a report with the Brickfields police station yesterday against Utusan Malaysia deputy editor Azman Anuar and Isma over articles appearing in the Umno-owned daily and an online portal which he said accused non-Malays of insulting Islam, Muslims and Malay rulers.
He said the accusation had been “manufactured” to provoke anger among Malays against non-Malays.
“Both their articles, dated Feb 16, clearly provoked hatred against the non-Malays and this provocation is not healthy for peace-loving Malaysia,” he said.
He added that the “ulterior motive” of inciting hatred and fear was evident in both articles.
“I here challenge Isma and Azman Anuar to prove their allegations that Muslims are facing real conspiracies from Christians and chauvinists,” Thasleem said.
He urged Isma to be careful when quoting Prophet Muhammad and not let off like a “loose cannon” in order to create hatred.
Isma in its article urged Malays to be aggressive in fighting back against threats posed by non-Muslims. It’s president, Muhammad Fauzi, said an unnamed anti-Muslim group were baiting the country’s Muslim majority and causing social and religious tensions.
Thasleem also blamed police inaction for the tense situation.
“The police has been very selective in taking action and a few Umno-friendly NGOs have got away with daylight robbery and murder, figuratively speaking,” he said.
He called on Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar to demonstrate his assertion that there were no “selective investigation and prosecution” by immediately investigating anyone creating racial tension.
KUALA LUMPUR: A Muslim NGO today urged the police to take stern action against Utusan Malaysia and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) for allegedly threatening racial harmony in the country.Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, speaking as president of Jihad for Justice, told reporters here that he lodged a report with the Brickfields police station yesterday against Utusan Malaysia deputy editor Azman Anuar and Isma over articles appearing in the Umno-owned daily and an online portal which he said accused non-Malays of insulting Islam, Muslims and Malay rulers.
He said the accusation had been “manufactured” to provoke anger among Malays against non-Malays.
“Both their articles, dated Feb 16, clearly provoked hatred against the non-Malays and this provocation is not healthy for peace-loving Malaysia,” he said.
He added that the “ulterior motive” of inciting hatred and fear was evident in both articles.
“I here challenge Isma and Azman Anuar to prove their allegations that Muslims are facing real conspiracies from Christians and chauvinists,” Thasleem said.
He urged Isma to be careful when quoting Prophet Muhammad and not let off like a “loose cannon” in order to create hatred.
Isma in its article urged Malays to be aggressive in fighting back against threats posed by non-Muslims. It’s president, Muhammad Fauzi, said an unnamed anti-Muslim group were baiting the country’s Muslim majority and causing social and religious tensions.
Thasleem also blamed police inaction for the tense situation.
“The police has been very selective in taking action and a few Umno-friendly NGOs have got away with daylight robbery and murder, figuratively speaking,” he said.
He called on Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar to demonstrate his assertion that there were no “selective investigation and prosecution” by immediately investigating anyone creating racial tension.
Mahathir takut Anwar jadi MB yang cemerlang, kata Manivanan
Beliau menambah ketakutan yang Mahathir sedang lalui bukanlah ketakutan yang biasa-biasa.PETALING JAYA: Ahli parlimen Kapar, G. Manivanan bertanya siapa yang sebenarnya takut dengan Langkah Kajang, adakah Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad atau Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Katanya, Langkah Kajang yang dicanang-canang sebagai langkah sumbang Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) oleh Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) nyata hanyalah omongan yang sebenarnya mengoncangkan parti yang memerintah itu.
Menurut beliau, bekas orang ‘nombor satu’ Umno itu menggambarkan ‘ketakutan’ beliau sekiranya Anwar Ibrahim menjadi Menteri Besar Selangor kerana ini akan menyerlahkan kewibawaan dan kepintaran bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri itu.
“Mahathir yang menunjangi kerajaaan ketika zaman ledakan reformasi, menyedari kekuatan dan keupayaan yang dimiliki oleh Anwar Ibrahim yang boleh mematahkan plot politik Umno dan mereka hilang punca dengan strategi terkini politik yang bakal menjadi batu asas kepada kemaraan Pakatan Rakyat ke Putrajaya,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan kepada FMT.
Katanya lagi, strategi politik Anwar Ibrahim ini akan kembali membuka ruang kepada rakyat terutamanya generasi muda untuk mengenali sosok dan kebolehan serta kemampuan pemimpin ini.
Beliau menambah rekod cemerlang beliau terutamanya ketika mengemudi Kementerian Kewangan daripada 1991-1998, yang disebut era emas kewangan Malaysia adalah sesuatu yang Mahathir tidak mahu berulang kembali di Selangor, seterusnya menjadi kayu ukur Anwar Ibrahim sebagai Perdana Menteri pertama dari Pakatan Rakyat.
Beliau mendakwa Mahathir takut provokasi-provokasi keagamaan dan perkauman yang sengaja diwujudkan oleh Umno kebelakangan ini akan tenggelam dan terpadam dengan penghargaan dan kefahaman rakyat tentang demokrasi yang diperjuangkan oleh Anwar Ibrahim.
Katanya, ditakdirkan Anwar Ibrahim menang di Kajang, dan seterusnya menjawat kerusi Menteri Besar Selangor seperti yang diramalkan oleh Mahathir, maka segala rancangan sulit Umno untuk merampas Selangor Darul Ehsan melalui pintu belakang akan menemui jalan buntu.
“Dalam memperkatakan perkara-perkara buruk berkaitan Fitnah Liwat II dan sebagainya , Mahathir adalah individu yang sebenarnya cukup mengetahui bahawa Anwar Ibrahim pasti akan menang di DUN Kajang dan seterusnya mendaki hierarki politik sekali lagi,” ujarnya.
G. Manivanan berkata kenyataan Mahathir bahawa calon-calon lain akan hilang deposit, jelas menggambarkan Mahathir mengakui Anwar Ibrahim telah cukup bersedia sebelum turun bertanding di Kajang.
“Mahathir secara terbuka juga menegaskan bahawa BN harus bertanding di DUN Kajang, tanpa mengira komponen mana yang menghantar calon. Tindak tanduk Mahathir ini sebagai satu respon ketakutan yang luar biasa dan jelas memberi tekanan kepada Datuk Seri Najib Razak selaku Pengerusi BN yang mungkin berkira-kira untuk tidak menghantar calon seperti pengamatan beberapa analisis politik tempatan,”dakwa beliau.
Beliau menambah ketakutan yang Mahathir sedang lalui bukanlah ketakutan yang biasa-biasa.
“Beliau mempunyai asas yang kuat untuk menjadi gentar dan takut serta telah memulakan gendang perang untuk menghalang kemaraan Anwar,” katanya lagi.
PSM: Ball is in Pakatan’s court
Despite campaigning and supporting the coalition in the past, we have yet to be accepted as an official partner, says PSM sec-gen S Arutchelvan
PETALING JAYA: The ball is in Pakatan Rakyat’s court to decide if Parti Sosialis Malaysia is to be a part of the coalition, said its secretary-general S Arutchelvan.
Arutchelvan said that PSM had already shown a keen interest in joining forces with Pakatan since last year but no official invitation has been forthcoming till today.
“Pakatan’s top leaders have to make it clear if they want us as an an official partner as we don’t have any issues working with their grassroots,” said Arutchelvan.
On not being invited for the March 8 Pakatan Rakyat convention, themed ‘Pakatan Bersama Rakyat’ (A pact with the people) at the Setia City Convention Centre, Arutchelvan said he was not perturbed.
He said it was the organiser’s prerogative to invite whom they pleased, and PSM had no issues with it.
Arutchelvan said that PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution once declared that the door was closed to PSM joining Pakatan, but its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said otherwise.
He added that PSM will continue its good track record in fighting for the marginalised communities and focus on issues such as minimum wages, hospital privatisation and many matters of concern to lower income group.
“Even during the elections, we worked with Pakatan grassroots on common issues which was championed by both sides. We never had any problems with it,” said Arutchelvan.
Yesterday, Saifuddin said Pakatan has not decided if PSM is to be part of their coalition or even extend an invitation to attend its convention on March 8.
However, NGOs such as Bela Tani, Turun, Geramm and C4 have been invited for the convention.
PETALING JAYA: The ball is in Pakatan Rakyat’s court to decide if Parti Sosialis Malaysia is to be a part of the coalition, said its secretary-general S Arutchelvan.Arutchelvan said that PSM had already shown a keen interest in joining forces with Pakatan since last year but no official invitation has been forthcoming till today.
“Pakatan’s top leaders have to make it clear if they want us as an an official partner as we don’t have any issues working with their grassroots,” said Arutchelvan.
On not being invited for the March 8 Pakatan Rakyat convention, themed ‘Pakatan Bersama Rakyat’ (A pact with the people) at the Setia City Convention Centre, Arutchelvan said he was not perturbed.
He said it was the organiser’s prerogative to invite whom they pleased, and PSM had no issues with it.
Arutchelvan said that PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution once declared that the door was closed to PSM joining Pakatan, but its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said otherwise.
He added that PSM will continue its good track record in fighting for the marginalised communities and focus on issues such as minimum wages, hospital privatisation and many matters of concern to lower income group.
“Even during the elections, we worked with Pakatan grassroots on common issues which was championed by both sides. We never had any problems with it,” said Arutchelvan.
Yesterday, Saifuddin said Pakatan has not decided if PSM is to be part of their coalition or even extend an invitation to attend its convention on March 8.
However, NGOs such as Bela Tani, Turun, Geramm and C4 have been invited for the convention.
India may give visa-on-arrival for M’sians
Soon Malaysians going to India need not apply to visas here as it will be isued at the entry points.
KUALA LUMUR: India is about to introduce visa-on-arrival (VOA) for visitors from 180 countries, including Malaysia, as part of its immigration reform designed to attract more tourists.
The Indian government, in a high-level meeting earlier this month, cleared the initiatives for VOA facility for 180 nations along with the electronic travel authorisation scheme.
However, nationals from eight countries – Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia and Sri Lanka – will not get the facility and have to apply for visa through the embassy.
“It will be done in stages and not immediately,” Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akhbaruddin told The Malaysian Reserve over the phone from New Delhi.
He said the plan needed a lot of infrastructure preparations which would take time.
The issue of VOA has sprung up many times in the past but could not see the light of day, partly due to resistance from Indian intelligence agencies raising security concerns.
These agencies have been persuaded to drop their opposition to the plan.
To some, it is India’s way of reciprocating to the Malaysian government’s decision to allow VOA for Indians travelling to Malaysia from a third country namely Singapore and Thailand.
The Indian government plans to put in place the infrastructure by the next tourist session in October. The VOA and electronic travel authorisation will be initially used at airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Goa and Trivandrum, according to reports from Indian newspapers.
Malaysia provides the highest traffic to India among all Asean countries and it is estimated that more than 150,000 Malaysians travel to India each year.
About 8% of Malaysians have an Indian origin, mostly from southern India and that leads many to travel to South India from Malaysia.
The “golden triangle” comprising New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is another popular destination among Malaysians. Malaysia is also an important tourist destination for Indians.
Meanwhile, some believe that the facility may not make much difference for Malaysian tourists to India despite being a good move.
“So far, the visa process for Malaysians travelling to India is simple and efficient.
The system is online,” Malaysia’s Tourism director Amran Abdul Rahman told The Malaysian Reserve over the phone from New Delhi.
He noted that the decision was not official yet and his department had not been informed of the move.
“Malaysians by nature are people who want their peace of mind so they would want to have a visa before they travel to another country.
“They would not want to get in a long queue and wait at the airports. Moreover, the airlines will also check the visa status for passengers,” Amran noted.
The Indian High Commission in Malaysia, when asked about the VOA facility for Malaysians, said it had not been informed of any decision yet.
This content is provided by FMT content provider The Malaysian Reserve
KUALA LUMUR: India is about to introduce visa-on-arrival (VOA) for visitors from 180 countries, including Malaysia, as part of its immigration reform designed to attract more tourists.The Indian government, in a high-level meeting earlier this month, cleared the initiatives for VOA facility for 180 nations along with the electronic travel authorisation scheme.
However, nationals from eight countries – Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia and Sri Lanka – will not get the facility and have to apply for visa through the embassy.
“It will be done in stages and not immediately,” Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akhbaruddin told The Malaysian Reserve over the phone from New Delhi.
He said the plan needed a lot of infrastructure preparations which would take time.
The issue of VOA has sprung up many times in the past but could not see the light of day, partly due to resistance from Indian intelligence agencies raising security concerns.
These agencies have been persuaded to drop their opposition to the plan.
To some, it is India’s way of reciprocating to the Malaysian government’s decision to allow VOA for Indians travelling to Malaysia from a third country namely Singapore and Thailand.
The Indian government plans to put in place the infrastructure by the next tourist session in October. The VOA and electronic travel authorisation will be initially used at airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Goa and Trivandrum, according to reports from Indian newspapers.
Malaysia provides the highest traffic to India among all Asean countries and it is estimated that more than 150,000 Malaysians travel to India each year.
About 8% of Malaysians have an Indian origin, mostly from southern India and that leads many to travel to South India from Malaysia.
The “golden triangle” comprising New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is another popular destination among Malaysians. Malaysia is also an important tourist destination for Indians.
Meanwhile, some believe that the facility may not make much difference for Malaysian tourists to India despite being a good move.
“So far, the visa process for Malaysians travelling to India is simple and efficient.
The system is online,” Malaysia’s Tourism director Amran Abdul Rahman told The Malaysian Reserve over the phone from New Delhi.
He noted that the decision was not official yet and his department had not been informed of the move.
“Malaysians by nature are people who want their peace of mind so they would want to have a visa before they travel to another country.
“They would not want to get in a long queue and wait at the airports. Moreover, the airlines will also check the visa status for passengers,” Amran noted.
The Indian High Commission in Malaysia, when asked about the VOA facility for Malaysians, said it had not been informed of any decision yet.
This content is provided by FMT content provider The Malaysian Reserve
Admit your weakness, Waytha tells Najib
The Hindraf chief says the PM is using Khairy as a shield against criticism.
PETALING JAYA: Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy has demanded a public admission from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that he had reneged on his promises to the Indian community.
In a media statement released today, he said Najib must admit that he had been too weak to honour the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hindraf that he signed before the 13th general election.
Referring to yesterday’s statement by Khairy Jamaluddin, he said the Umno Youth leader was being used by Najib as a shield against criticism.
“Khairy’s irrational defence of his boss is immature and imprudent,” he said in the statement.
“Would Khairy be able to perform if his ministry’s budget is taken away?”
Khairy, who is Youth and Sports Minister, said on Twitter that Waythamoorthy, while serving as a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (PMO), had demanded control over all government budgets for the Indian community.
Waythamoorthy said Khairy “should read the MOU first and understand what his boss committed himself to.”
He added: “The entire Cabinet should be embarrassed that their boss reneged on his promises to the Indian community.”
Waythamoorthy said Najib expressed admiration for Hindraf’s proposed socio-economic programmes when he submitted them in the first month of his service with the Prime Minister’s Department.
Najib was equally amazed that hundreds of volunteers and experts in various fields were offering to help the government and Hindraf implement a “comprehensive and practical plan” for the benefit of Indians, he added.
“The Prime Minister committed himself to a special unit to be headed by a director-general and four assistant directors-general with a minimum of 50 team members to be set up within the PMO to oversee the various socio-economic problems faced by the Indian community,” he said.
“The unit would be given a special budget with autonomy to enable it to carry out its tasks in a focused and targeted manner.”
He said he tried for eight months to persuade Najib to fulfil his commitments, but “the Prime Minister did not do anything proactive to make the unit and budget a reality.”
“It became very clear to me there was no political will on his part.”
He said he explained to Najib how various government agencies had failed to deliver their service to the Indian community.
“An example is the Education Ministry’s failure to provide Tamil schools with proper infrastructure and the lack of scholarships and education placement in public universities and matriculation.
“The Agriculture Ministry, for example, failed to provide alternatives for the displaced plantation workers.
“The relevant government agencies and Menteris Besar of the various states also failed to provide land both for economic as well as settlement of Indian labourers displaced from estates after having served the nation four to five generations.”
Meanwhile, DAP vice chairman M Kulasegaran called upon Najib to apologise to the Indian community for betraying the trust given in the previous general election.
“The prime minister must realise that his commitment was to the Indian community, not Hindraf. Najib must apologise for his historic act of betrayal,” he said.
Kulasegaran, who is also Ipoh Barat MP, said that it was now proven that Hindraf made a mistake in trusting Najib, who is not really keen in addressing the plight of the minority group.
“And it is proven when Najib did not even try to dissuade Waythamoorthy from quitting his post. With the general election over, Hindraf has outlived its usefulness for the government,” he said.
PETALING JAYA: Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy has demanded a public admission from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that he had reneged on his promises to the Indian community.In a media statement released today, he said Najib must admit that he had been too weak to honour the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hindraf that he signed before the 13th general election.
Referring to yesterday’s statement by Khairy Jamaluddin, he said the Umno Youth leader was being used by Najib as a shield against criticism.
“Khairy’s irrational defence of his boss is immature and imprudent,” he said in the statement.
“Would Khairy be able to perform if his ministry’s budget is taken away?”
Khairy, who is Youth and Sports Minister, said on Twitter that Waythamoorthy, while serving as a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (PMO), had demanded control over all government budgets for the Indian community.
Waythamoorthy said Khairy “should read the MOU first and understand what his boss committed himself to.”
He added: “The entire Cabinet should be embarrassed that their boss reneged on his promises to the Indian community.”
Waythamoorthy said Najib expressed admiration for Hindraf’s proposed socio-economic programmes when he submitted them in the first month of his service with the Prime Minister’s Department.
Najib was equally amazed that hundreds of volunteers and experts in various fields were offering to help the government and Hindraf implement a “comprehensive and practical plan” for the benefit of Indians, he added.
“The Prime Minister committed himself to a special unit to be headed by a director-general and four assistant directors-general with a minimum of 50 team members to be set up within the PMO to oversee the various socio-economic problems faced by the Indian community,” he said.
“The unit would be given a special budget with autonomy to enable it to carry out its tasks in a focused and targeted manner.”
He said he tried for eight months to persuade Najib to fulfil his commitments, but “the Prime Minister did not do anything proactive to make the unit and budget a reality.”
“It became very clear to me there was no political will on his part.”
He said he explained to Najib how various government agencies had failed to deliver their service to the Indian community.
“An example is the Education Ministry’s failure to provide Tamil schools with proper infrastructure and the lack of scholarships and education placement in public universities and matriculation.
“The Agriculture Ministry, for example, failed to provide alternatives for the displaced plantation workers.
“The relevant government agencies and Menteris Besar of the various states also failed to provide land both for economic as well as settlement of Indian labourers displaced from estates after having served the nation four to five generations.”
Meanwhile, DAP vice chairman M Kulasegaran called upon Najib to apologise to the Indian community for betraying the trust given in the previous general election.
“The prime minister must realise that his commitment was to the Indian community, not Hindraf. Najib must apologise for his historic act of betrayal,” he said.
Kulasegaran, who is also Ipoh Barat MP, said that it was now proven that Hindraf made a mistake in trusting Najib, who is not really keen in addressing the plight of the minority group.
“And it is proven when Najib did not even try to dissuade Waythamoorthy from quitting his post. With the general election over, Hindraf has outlived its usefulness for the government,” he said.
Malaysian Indians – Hindraf = UMNO Advantage
At the end of the day, Indians are arguing with Indians which will not solve any problems. Everyone has to take a stand to leave HIndraf alone and let them heal themselves. By throwing hatred amongst our own race will create more damage. This is what UMNO is expecting so that they can take advantage of the situation.Saravanan
Hindraf was an organization which championed the poor Indian cause of Malaysia and was the back bone for Malaysian Indians since 2007. Due to the Hindraf rally, UMNO lost 2/3 majority in the 12th general election. This was a great impact for the 52 years long serving UMNO-led government. To counter attack Hindraf, UMNO sponsored many Malay NGOs to stabilize their position.
The 13th general election saw another different scenario where Hindraf signed a MoU with Barisan Nasional to find permanent and comprehensive solutions. PM Najib played a leading role to conquer the heart of the Hindraf leader by giving flowery promises. After winning the General Election with a better result than the GE12, PM Razak appointed Waytha (Hindraf chairperson) as a deputy minister under the Prime Ministers department. The whole pact caused anger for many Malaysian Indians. With great ambition, Hindraf started their duty to resolve problems but till 8 months none of the promises were delivered because PM Najib had no intention to solve the Indians’ problems and have been a blockage for deliverance.
After 8 months of Waytha working as a deputy minister, he finally came to the conclusion that UMNO made use of Hindraf and the poor Indians’ situation. Hindraf chairman P Waytha Moorthy resigned from all positions in the government and the Senate on Feb 10.
The failure of the Hindraf and UMNO promises made many Malaysians hate UMNO and Hindraf. Several NGOs openly called Waytha a traitor, though openly the Hindraf chairperson asked for forgiveness. Day by day the situation is becoming sourer. According to Hindraf, they tried their level best but unfortunately they weren’t aware that this is a trick of UMNO to kill Hindraf’s cause and popularity.
I am following the grassroots sentiment and netizens’ comments. It is not favouring Hindraf nor UMNO. Those criticisms against Hindraf or UMNO is not going to solve any Indian problem. There is a proverb in Tamil: “Either you be helpful or do not intend to harm anyone”. The Indian community has to take a stand not to harm anyone. At the end of the day, Indians are arguing with Indians which will not solve any problems. Everyone has to take a stand to leave HIndraf alone and let them heal themselves. By throwing hatred amongst our own race will create more damage. This is what UMNO is expecting so that they can take advantage of the situation.
At the same time, Hindraf members should let people give their opinions, as by counter attacking they will cause more damage to the society. I urge the Hindraf Chairperson to play smart. We don’t need hatred and damages. It would be nice if all parties, NGOs and leaders, work for the future of the marginalized Indian community. Our one and only target should be UMNO because the Indian community has been cheated for 56 years. This is not a short period. They failed again after signing an agreement with Hindraf. So the sole cause is PM Najib (UMNO). There is no point shooting blanks at a person who asks for forgiveness. The aim and target should be UMNO and their leaders for failing Malaysian Indians. Do not give chances for others to take advantage of the tense situation.
Open Letter to Ex-Senator Waythamoorthy
Dear Moorthy,
I am writing you this open letter with hope that it will reach you as all my attempts to reach you directly over the telephone and SMS and requests to meet you directly through your associates FAILED!
I am one of the many thousands of my fellow brothers and sisters who were on the streets in November 2007, taking the water cannons and tear gas from the police and FRU, stood steadfast to the struggle that you and your friends voiced to the government of Malaysia.
I am also one among the many supporters of Hindraf who gave our hard-earned money to support Hindraf’s cause back then.
Furthermore, I am also one of the many Hindraf supporters who were upset with you when you left the country and ran away to UK, leaving your other friends to rot in jail!
And last but not least, I am one of the many Indians in this country who lost our trust and hopes in you when you decided to sign a deal with the BN government and accepted the deputy minister’s post!
For all these reasons above, I believe I have the locus standi to voice out my opinion to you.
First of all, you made a blunder by gambling with our Indian community’s fate. Who are you to represent the poor Indians in Malaysia? Didn’t you just abandon many of those who stood with you and suffered life in prison, while you escaped to London? Your decision to threaten the government and the opposition with support only to the coalition that signs an agreement with you clearly shows how you choose to gamble with our life and future.
And when you chose to sign a pact with BN, didn’t you anticipate that you were going to have a tough time getting it materialised?
Today, after already disappointing and failing the hopes and aspirations of thousands of poor Indians, you are coming out to the public crying foul of the Najib administration for your failures! You have lost our trust and support long ago. And do you think we will be fooled again now with your so-called revelations of how ineffective the government is? Do you think we will buy your story? Are you coming out with statements after statements to convince us and build back your already diminished support?
You have to come clean this time, really. If you were wise, you would have remained an NGO leader and pressured the government to get things done for the Indians. With pressures like these, I am sure the Najib government would have done something. The reason I’m saying this is not because I’m not a supporter of Najib or BN, but I can see that at least he does something for the Indians as compared to the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, whom I honestly cannot recall having done anything for the Indians. I can only remember him as a racist till today.
Coming back to you Moorthy, if you think you need to get back the support and trust of the Indians, work hard to get it because we are not prepared to be fooled again, we are not prepared to let someone ride on us again. Enough is enough, so enough of your public statements, enough of your attacks on Najib, we are not buying it. Think of some other ways to convince us, and to be fair, we will consider whether to give you another chance or not!
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
R. Jambulingam
Draw up a blueprint for Tamil education
Tamil is said to be one of the longest-surviving languages in the world. It has been described as the only language of contemporary India which is recognisably continuous with the classical past and having one of the richest literatures in the world. Tamil literature has existed for over 2,000 years and the earliest epigraphic records are said to be found on rock edits and hero stones dating to the 5th century BC.
The Sangam literature, which has been described as the earliest period of Tamil literature, is said to be dated from circa 300BC to 300AD. Tamil language inscriptions written circa the 1st century BC and 2nd century AD have been discovered in Eygpt, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The variety and quality of classical Tamil literature has led to its being described as one of the great classical traditions and literature of the world. (Wikipedia)
Malaysia is one of the few countries outside of India that has provided a conducive environment and support for this oldest language in the world to flourish. The existence of more than 500-odd Tamil primary schools in the country, many of which are fully aided by the state, is a testimony of the government’s sincere effort in promoting and sustaining the language among the Tamil-speaking population.
The recent announcements by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that several new Tamil schools will be built and more funds will be made available for Tamil schools indicates the government’s willingness in meeting the Indian community’s desire to improve Tamil language education in the country.
Despite the many political challenges, it is indeed heartening to note that the government is steadfast in its promise to safeguard the existence of vernacular schools in the country.
The Indian community, especially the Tamil-speaking Indians and others who have shown great interest and support for the language, are indeed grateful to the PM for the financial pledge and support. This augurs well for the government and the future of Tamil schools in the country.
MIC, which has been in the forefront in championing the Tamil schools issues for ages, should take the lead by setting up a special committee comprising of academics, community leaders and NGOs to draw up a blueprint for Tamil education. This special committee should among others also look into the recent proposal to set up the first Tamil secondary school in the country.
Having said that, the time has come for those who take pride in the Tamil language to join forces to stand up against certain individuals who are urging the abolishment of Tamil schools in the country.
It is understandable those who are not familiar with Tamil and its contribution to the world and the Indian community at large would perceive it differently. However, it is indeed saddening to note that another Indian, who happens to be a BN coalition party leader, painting a very negative picture of Tamil schools in the country.
Timely intervention
I don’t know what this particular politician is up to. He has been known in the past to stir up unnecessary issues with regard to Tamil schools. This time around his moronic statements about Tamil schools has somewhat riled up the Indian community. However, the timely intervention of the PM in favour of Tamil schools recently has somewhat helped to neutralise the issue.
Many view the PM’s announcement of incentives and financial allocation to Tamil schools as a slap to those who are urging the abolishment of vernacular schools.
The time has come for the government to view those who are urging the closure of Tamil and Chinese schools as seditious. Appropriate legal action should be taken against such individuals or groups as it is a deliberate attempt to stir up ill-feelings and tension among the multi-racial peace-loving population.
Don't give up hope, Waythamoorthy!
The five who were then arrested and held under the Internal Security Act became our heroes, not just for the Indians, but for many others as well.
Many of us were disappointed when you quietly left the country. However, your campaign overseas proved otherwise. You somehow managed to raise the plight of the Indian community in many parts of the world.
However, you have, in the meantime, allowed your appointed people or those who claimed to have been appointed by you to make their own personal deals with the government. Yes, they were making hay while the sun was shining.
When
I met you in New Delhi in early 2012, I was impressed with the
international acclaim of your struggle. You did speak to me of your
disappointments with some of your former supporters.This was proof of the loss of grip of your leadership here in Malaysia. I also noticed that you have not, in many ways, recognised the sufferings of your close allies, some of whom moved towards the opposition because of the lack of proper local leadership.
Initially, when you returned to Malaysia, I rejected the information passed on to me that you have already some secret dealings with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak or his representative.
This trust I had in you because of my faith in you of superbly tackling the 2004 tsunami relief work as our representative in Sri Lanka. You made great personnel sacrifices then.
MOU shocker
But, your comments on the terms you had laid to the political parties differed and when you agreed to sign the memorandum of understanding with Najib for lower demands shocked me.
I was invited for the ceremony but I refused to attend it after reading the draft content. I just could not believe it!
You
seemed to have abandoned many of those who toiled with you, including
the five ISA detainees who had their lives almost turned upside down,
and the many people who were hounded by the police Special Branch.You never went out of the way to personally discuss with your former colleagues who rallied around you. Pardon me if I am wrong, for I inquired and I was informed of the negative.
Out of the blues, you had new advisers whom you seemed to trust more.
Even with all these doubts I did make my personal decision to give you a chance. Obviously, you have failed or rather blundered! You filled your office with many of your “trusted” people as your staff or volunteers.
A government department does not work that way. My one visit to your office last year was enough to learn that you do not trust anyone than those of your team.
You willingly went into that office and your open criticism of the government within days of being in the government showed that you have no knowledge of procedures you have to follow in a post you requested to be in.
Your brother needs help
Dear Waytha, I am so sorry for you because you went into this post in government without the backing of the majority of Indian NGOs.
After you returned from overseas, you have only trusted a handful of people. In 2007 you had the support and trust of hundreds of NGOs and general community backing in Malaysia. Living on past glory never works.
You may claim that you have the support of grassroots. Yes, perhaps you have. But, they must be seen to be with you.
Anyway, do not give up hope. In this effort you need the support of all parties and do not isolate them. It is time to unite and work peacefully for a fair deal.
Please go and look after those who slogged for your cause. Your brother needs help. Many of those whose cases are pending need to be dealt with.
I am always free for discussion.
Yours in service,
A Vaithilingam
A VAITHILINGAM is a former president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).
Waytha asks KJ: You tried working with no money? - Malaysiakini
Countering Khairy's call that he has been ineffective and money-minded, Waythamoorthy said he quit from his government posts because Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has been nonchalant about a special unit he wanted to address issues of the Indian Malaysian poor.
"Khairy's irrational defence of his boss is immature and imprudent," Waythamoorthy said in a press statement today."Will Khairy be able to perform if his ministry’s budget is taken away and he is expected to function as the youth and sports minister?"
The Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia leader resigned from his government posts last week and called Najib a liar for not fulfilling the memorandum ofm understanding signed with the BN, just before last year’s general election.
The pact earned Waythamoorthy a senatorship and a post of deputy minister, supposedly to take charge of issues affecting the Indian Malaysian community, after the BN was returned to federal power.
'No political will on PM's part'
During his short stint, Waythamoorthy said, Najib had at first agreed to set up a special unit with at least 50 members to help the poor.
"The unit would be given a special budget, with autonomy to enable it to carry out its tasks in a focused and targeted manner," Waythamoorthy said.
"However, after eight months of persuading him to fulfil his above commitments, the PM did not do anything proactive to make the unit and budget a reality. It became very clear to me there was no political will on his part."
He added that the special unit is needed because the other ministries had failed in this area.
For example, the Education Ministry did not provide Tamil schools with proper infrastructure and lacked scholarships and placements for Indian Malaysians in public universities.
The Agriculture Ministry too failed to provide alternatives for displaced plantation workers, while government agencies and state governments didn’t provide land aid for the displaced, long-serving estate workers.
Hisham joins 'Waytha-whacking' tweet crew - Malaysiakini
After scathing criticism from Youth and
Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, another cabinet minister has come
forward to label former colleague P Waythamoorthy as "selfish".
Also taking to Twitter, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Waythamoorthy resigned as deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department last week to "cover up his own failure".
"Waytha(moorthy)'s move of blaming the government and (Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak is a political ploy to cover up his own failure.
"He
is clearly insincere in championing the cause of the Indian community
in a holistic manner, like he claimed before," he said.
Hishammuddin had also tagged Housing and Urban Well-being Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan (right) and MIC onto his posts slamming the Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia chief.
He added that resigning after nine months and then attacking the government also shows that Waythamoorthy was "insincere and selfish".
He stressed that making significant changes would take more than nine months - the duration for which Waythamoorthy was part of the cabinet.
BN is sincere
Responding to a question by another Twitter user, Hishammuddin said that BN will continue to help the Indian community "with or without Waytha(moorthy)".
"We have the mandate to govern and Waytha(moorthy) should understand... BN is sincere in helping the Indian community. This is not about just one man or one group's struggle," he said.
He also said that the Indian community will be able to see through Waythamoorthy's "narrow-mindedness".
Hishammuddin's vitriol comes after fellow cabinet minister Khairy accused Waythamoorthy (left) of quitting because he could not control funds for Indian community development.
In a tit-for-tat, Waythamoorthy today asked Khairy if he would be able to function as a minister if the allocation for his ministry was taken away.
Waythamoorthy yesterday urged Najib to resign for not upholding his side of the bargain in relation to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between BN and Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia.
The lawyer-turned-activist had campaigned for BN - following the MOU signing - and was appointed senator and deputy minister after the 13th general election.
He remained unpopular among his cabinet colleagues, however, when his calls for action on deaths in custody were slammed by Hishammuddin and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
On Monday, Waythamoorthy apologised to the Indian poor, especially those who voted for BN in the last general election, for failing to implement the programmes promised in the MOU.
Also taking to Twitter, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Waythamoorthy resigned as deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department last week to "cover up his own failure".
"Waytha(moorthy)'s move of blaming the government and (Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak is a political ploy to cover up his own failure.
"He
is clearly insincere in championing the cause of the Indian community
in a holistic manner, like he claimed before," he said.Hishammuddin had also tagged Housing and Urban Well-being Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan (right) and MIC onto his posts slamming the Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia chief.
He added that resigning after nine months and then attacking the government also shows that Waythamoorthy was "insincere and selfish".
He stressed that making significant changes would take more than nine months - the duration for which Waythamoorthy was part of the cabinet.
BN is sincere
Responding to a question by another Twitter user, Hishammuddin said that BN will continue to help the Indian community "with or without Waytha(moorthy)".
"We have the mandate to govern and Waytha(moorthy) should understand... BN is sincere in helping the Indian community. This is not about just one man or one group's struggle," he said.
He also said that the Indian community will be able to see through Waythamoorthy's "narrow-mindedness".
Hishammuddin's vitriol comes after fellow cabinet minister Khairy accused Waythamoorthy (left) of quitting because he could not control funds for Indian community development.In a tit-for-tat, Waythamoorthy today asked Khairy if he would be able to function as a minister if the allocation for his ministry was taken away.
Waythamoorthy yesterday urged Najib to resign for not upholding his side of the bargain in relation to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between BN and Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia.
The lawyer-turned-activist had campaigned for BN - following the MOU signing - and was appointed senator and deputy minister after the 13th general election.
He remained unpopular among his cabinet colleagues, however, when his calls for action on deaths in custody were slammed by Hishammuddin and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
On Monday, Waythamoorthy apologised to the Indian poor, especially those who voted for BN in the last general election, for failing to implement the programmes promised in the MOU.
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Pakistani Hindus angered by ‘forced conversions’
PTI | KARACHI | Feb 17, 2014:: Pakistan’s Hindu minority is angered by “forced conversions”, with leaders of the community saying girls as young as six years were being pressured to change their religion.“Can you accept your daughters being forcibly married to Hindu men?” said Raj Kumar, whose niece Rinkle Kumari was allegedly forced to convert and marry a Muslim man in 2012. Rinkle’s case made headlines and was even taken up by the Supreme Court.
Speaking at a seminar at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday on the theme “Hindus in Pakistan – issues and solutions”, Kumar called six-year-old Jumna on to the stage and said she and her 10-year-old sister Pooja would have been forced to change their religion if the media had not raised their case.
“What do children as young as Jumna and Pooja know about Islam and their own religion, for that matter, that they’d want to convert? This is the height of injustice,” Kumar was quoted as saying by the influential Dawn daily.
Jumna’s mother Marju and father Soma, residents of Mirpurkhas city in Sindh province, were present at the event.
“We are poor people. My little girls helped supplement our income by selling clay toys and utensils
door to door. On February 4, they left home as usual with their basket of toys but didn’t return. We raised an alarm,” Soma said.“After several reports in the media about our missing girls, it was found that they had been staying with a man named Rajab Pathan. The police of our area later produced them in court as Muslim children. We were prevented by the police from seeing them too.”
Soma said the court sent the girls to a Darul Aman or womens’ home following suspicions they may have been subjected to child abuse at home.
“Little Jumna has been given back to us now but Pooja is still at the Darul Aman. She seems to have been brainwashed into saying strange things about us. Her mind seems affected by the trauma,” he said.
All Hindu Rights Organisation chairman Kishan Chand Parwani, one of the organisers of the seminar, said it was sad to see the problems of Pakistan’s minorities “multiplying instead of decreasing”.
Former lawmaker Safdar Abbasi said it was a sad reality that not just Hindu temples but mosques, imambargahs or Shia prayer halls and churches were no longer safe in Pakistan.
Courtesy: TOI.
Christian Family Murdered in Alexandria
Six-year-old among members of a family stabbed to death. Family is of Syrian origin. Four members of a Christian family of Syrian origin living in Alexandria, Egypt, were stabbed to
death Monday. A man was seen walking out of their apartment holding a black plastic bag.
The father of the family, 44, who was employed in one of Sharm el-Sheikh's hotels, was found stabbed in the stomach, the chest and the shoulder. His 35-year-old wife was stabbed in the neck, and so was the husband's 43-year-old sister. Their six-year-old daughter was also found murdered.
The attackers started a fire in the kitchen, in an apparent attempt to set the entire apartment aflame and destroy evidence.
The large Christian community in Egypt, which numbers about 10 million people, has increasingly been coming under attack from Muslims in the last few years. Many Christians have been murdered and wounded, and over 100 churches, homes and businesses owned by Christians have been attacked, with some being burned down.
The Egyptian regime has blamed the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical Islamist forces for these attacks.
Iowa: Lack of physical evidence exonerates imam in nude Islamic ritual
via Jurors announce verdict in religious ritual assault trial h/t @VinIenco
Jurors announced a verdict Friday just hours after starting deliberations in the Nermin Spahic trial.
They found Spahic not guilty on all three charges.
Spahic was emotional at hearing the verdict and was in tears.
Defense attorney Angela Campbell said the quick jury verdict may have come from the lack of physical evidence in the case.
“It’s a he said, she said case,” said Campbell.
Campbell said she didn’t know what resonated with the jury, but thought officers who said they decided not to collect evidence from Spahic’s fingernails and the victim’s body may have played a role.
“They had the opportunity to pursue physical evidence and they didn’t.
That resonates with me, and I assume it would resonate with anyone
that’s listening to the evidence in this case,” said Campbell.
The case wasn’t without circumstantial
evidence. Assistant Polk County Attorney Steve Foritano focused on the
defendant’s history of performing the religious ceremony on clothed
people. That night with the 18-year-old woman and her mother, he performed the ceremony with them in the nude covered only by a towel.
The 18-year-old texted her friends
that she was scared and immediately following the ritual, texted about
places his hands should not have been.
Closing arguments were presented on Friday morning and the case was turned over to the jury about 11 a.m.
Spahic, 41, is on trial charged with
third-degree sexual assault and two counts of sexual exploitation by
clergy. A mother and her 18-year-old daughter both reported being
assaulted by Spahic during a counseling session at a Johnston home last
August.
Testimony started on Tuesday and Thursday Spahic took the witness stand in his own defense.
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