Friday, 11 April 2014
30,000 Chinese cancel holiday plans to Malaysia following MH370 disappearance, says Nazri
At least 30,000 tourists from China have cancelled their holiday packages to Malaysia until next year
as the fallout from the disappearance of MH370 becomes evident, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohammad Nazri Aziz (pic) said today.
He said the cancellations were due to the fallout from the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370.
"However, the 30,000 figure is not the overall figure as the complete report of tourist figures for March has yet to be received.
"I have been made to understand that as many as 30,000 tourists from China have cancelled their holiday packages to Malaysia until 2015.
"That is why I mentioned earlier that the tourism sector has been affected," Nazri told a press conference at the Royale Chulan Hotel in Damansara.
"The figures for January and February are extremely good but I have not received the figures for tourism arrivals after March 8."
MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, was on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it dropped off the radar at 1.20am on March 8.
When asked what measures his ministry planned to take to resolve the issue of holiday package cancellations from China, Nazri said: "This is not the main issue which needs to be given priority at the moment. I don’t think we need to take any measures for now.
"In the culture and traditions of the Chinese people, closure is important for them to continue living.
"So the important issue for the time being is to give them the answers they want by finding the missing aircraft."
Nazri had previously admitted in Parliament that the tragedy of MH370 had affected the number of tourist arrivals in Malaysia.
Putrajaya has already shelved Visit Malaysia Year 2014 promotions in China in respect of the MH370 crisis.
China is the third biggest contributor to tourism arrivals behind Singapore and Indonesia with a record 1.6 million last year.
For Visit Malaysia Year 2014, Putrajaya has targeted 28 million tourist arrivals.
On the abduction of a Chinese woman from the Singamata Reef Resort in Semporna last week, Nazri admitted that the incidents which occurred in Malaysia recently had dented Malaysia's image on the global stage.
"Of course these incidents will cast a negative pall on Malaysia's image. That is why we are calling on the relevant ministry to step up security in Sabah," he said. – April 10, 2014.
Gov't must enforce Deepa’s rights, amend laws
Justice was served - or so we thought. Just one day later, things took a turn for the worse.
Enforce the two court orders - reunite mother and son
Deepa has gone through a lot. She survived domestic abuse by her ex-husband. In April last year, her children were converted to Islam unilaterally by her ex-husband without her knowledge or consent. Her children were taken away from her.
To claim her rights, Deepa turned to the justice system. She obtained an interim protection order (IPO) to protect herself from further abuse, and she went to the courts to obtain custody of her children. And despite the injustices she faced, she never asked that the father not be allowed to see the children.
Yesterday, one day after Deepa won custody of her children, the ex-husband, assisted by an unknown man, reportedly violently abducted the son from Deepa’s home.
By acting violently towards Deepa, the ex-husband had breached the interim protection order (IPO). By abducting the son, the ex-husband had breached the High Court custody order. Two court orders have been breached, which warrants his immediate arrest.
Yet now, a day later, Deepa’s son has still not been returned to her, and no action has been taken against the ex-husband. We have been informed that the police are still awaiting instructions from the deputy public prosecutor before making any arrests or retrieving the child.
Amend family laws - prevent future injustices
None of this should have happened in the first place. When the ex-husband unilaterally converted his children to Islam, he was gaming the system. He created an unfair advantage for himself, and obtained custody of the children in the Syariah courts, where Deepa had no chance to tell her side of the story.
We’ve seen this happen before, with S Shamala, R Subashini, and Indira Gandhi. And though we have seen some positive High Court judgments, we need to rectify our laws to fill all gaps and to make absolutely clear that the rights of the non-converting spouse must be upheld.
The Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act must be amended, including to spell out that the consent of both parents are needed to convert the religion of their children, and that when a spouse converts, the non-converting spouse must be notified about the conversion and its legal implications.
Deepa had faith in the system. We hope that the system lives up to her faith by ensuring she is reunited with her son immediately. And if women are to have faith in the system in the future, we must ensure that our laws ensure their rights are upheld.
Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) provides shelter, social work, and counselling services for women who experience domestic violence, and advocates for women’s human rights. Together, we change lives.
Father of killed prison inmate awarded RM400k
Judge Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad on Feb 13 this year found the prison authorities had breached in caring for G Uthayachandran and were negligent in their actions, resulting in his death at the hands of prison inmates.
One of the prison doors was not locked during food rationing time, thereby allowing the inmates to attack Uthayachandran.Justice Nik Hasmat today ordered the three defendants to pay RM192,000 (or a rate of RM1,000 times 16 years) as special damages, another RM100,000 in exemplary damages and RM100,000 as general damages.
She also ordered the government to pay RM4,000 as funeral expenses and RM5,000 in probate.
“Besides this, the court orders the government pay RM60,000 as costs to the plaintiff,” Nik Hasmat ordered.
Ghaur Chandram (above, right) filed the suit in 2009 had named the Home Ministry secretary-general, the Sungai Buloh Prison director, the prison hospital’s medical officer, two wardens and the government as defendants.
Guards failed to close canteen door
Uthayachandran, 23, who was remanded for a drug-related offence died at the prison canteen after the guards failed to close the prison door, resulting in other inmates assaulting him on May 18, 2008.
The father claimed that the prison authorities were negligent and had breached in their duties in caring for Uthayachandran.
Uthayachandran's sister G Eshwary said although they are not happy with the quantum, they have to accept it as it is.
She was in court with her father Ghaur Chandram, a taxi driver.
On
Feb 13, Justice Nik Hasmat agreed that the defendants were also late in
sending Uthayachandran, a tow truck operator, to the hospital in a van,
where the victim was pronounced dead on arrival.In her judgment, she said the court was satisfied that the father had proved his claim against the defendants.
She also said it was not normal practice for an inmate to be brought down when the food rationing exercise was carried out and “Pintu B” (Gate B) on the ground floor was not closed, allowing a group of prisoners to attack Uthayachandran.
Nik Hasmat also said the six to seven prison guards present then were not equipped to look after more than 700 inmates in the prison.
“The victim died as a direct result of the attack on him by fellow inmates. The court merely rules that there was breach of care and degree of negligence on the part of the defendants, which resulted in his death.
“Accordingly, I allow the plaintiff’s claim of special damages for funeral expenses and loss of dependency, exemplary and general damages,” she ruled.
Ghaur Chandram was represented by Arnold Andrew (above, right) while senior federal counsel H S Huam appeared for the defendants.
The defendants have filed an appeal against the quantum, but not on their liability.
Islamic horror: Iraq set to legalize marital rape, child marriage
In an effort to attract support from Shia Muslims, politicians in Iraq are set to legalize child marriage and marital rape.
The new law, recently approved by the Iraqi cabinet, is expected
to be approved by the Iraqi parliament before the upcoming April 30
parliamentary elections. The law lowers the country’s legal age for
marriage to 9, legalizes marital rape, and bans women from leaving the
home without the permission of their husbands.
The law is a calculated political strategy to please the
nation’s Shia Muslim majority ahead of parliamentary elections. Let that
sink in. Apparently a majority of Iraqis thinks child marriage and
marital rape is a good idea.
The legislation,
referred to as the “Ja’afari Law,” describes girls as reaching puberty
at age nine, thus making them fit for marriage. The legislation also
condones a husband’s right to insist on sexual intercourse with his wife
whenever he wishes, and makes the father sole guardian of his children
at age two.
The legislation was originally proposed by justice minister
Hassan al-Shimari, a member of the Shiite Fadila party, and approved by
the cabinet on February 25.
The proposed legislation is almost identical to legislation
on the books in neighboring Iran, a Shia-dominated Islamic theocracy.
The new law is repugnant and barbaric, dripping with a misogyny that is difficult to imagine.
MH370: New signal detected
But it will need further analysis, say searchers
PERTH: Searchers engaged in a race against time to pinpoint “pings” from the missing Malaysian airliner’s black boxes on Thursday detected a possible fifth signal, fuelling hopes that wreckage will soon be found.
The beacons on flight MH370′s data and cockpit voice recorders are due to fade, more than a month after the Boeing 777 vanished. So the Australian-led search is vying to determine an exact location before sending down a submersible to plumb the Indian Ocean depths.
The Perth-based Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said the latest ping was detected Thursday afternoon by an Australian air force P-3C Orion surveillance plane, which has been dropping dozens of sonar buoys into the remote waters of the search zone.
“The acoustic data will require further analysis overnight but shows potential of being from a made-made source,” JACC chief Angus Houston said in a statement.
The Australian ship Ocean Shield, bearing a special US Navy “towed pinger locator”, is now focused on a far smaller area of the Indian Ocean 2,280 kilometres (1,400 miles) northwest of Perth where it picked up two fresh signals Tuesday.
Those transmissions matched a pair of signals logged over the weekend.
“When you put those two (sets of pings) together, it makes us very optimistic,” US Seventh fleet spokesman commander William Marks said earlier on CNN, adding that the search was getting “closer and closer”.
“This is not something you find with commercial shipping, not something just found in nature — this is definitely something that is man-made, consistent with what you would find with these black boxes.”
Marks said he expected the pings to last “maybe another day or two” as the batteries powering the black box beacons fade after their normal lifespan of about 30 days.
No floating debris from the Malaysia Airlines aircraft, which disappeared on March 8 with 239 people aboard, has yet been found despite days of exhaustive searching by ships and aircraft from several nations.
Investigation still inconclusive
Houston said the high-tech underwater surveillance was meant to define a reduced and more manageable search area in depths of around four kilometres (2.5 miles), but he acknowledged that time was running out.
“I believe we are searching in the right area but we need to visually identify the aircraft before we can confirm with certainty that this is the final resting place of MH370,” he said Wednesday.
Houston again urged against unduly inflating hopes, for the sake of the families of missing passengers and crew who have endured a month-long nightmare punctuated by a number of false leads.
But he voiced renewed optimism.
“They (experts) believe the signals to be consistent with the specification and description of a flight data recorder,” he said.
No other ships will be allowed near the Ocean Shield as it must work in an environment as free of noise as possible, but up to 10 military aircraft, four civil planes and 13 ships were taking part in surface searches in the region on Thursday, the JACC said.
Houston said it would not be long before a US-made autonomous underwater vehicle called a Bluefin-21 would be sent down to investigate, but has cautioned that it will have to operate at the very limits of its capability given the vast depths involved.
In Malaysia, Home Minister Zahid Hamidi said there was “no conclusive evidence yet” from the continuing investigation into what caused the plane to divert from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route.
Zahid, who oversees law enforcement, said around 180 people had been interviewed, including relatives of passengers and crew as well as airline ground staff and engineers.
“We are filtering all the information. When the evidence is conclusive then we will let the media know about it,” he said.
A number of theories have been put forward to explain MH370′s baffling disappearance.
They include a hijacking or terrorist attack, a pilot gone rogue or a sudden catastrophic event that incapacitated the crew and left the plane to fly for hours until it ran out of fuel in its suspected Indian Ocean crash site.
But no evidence has emerged to bolster any theory.
- AFP
The beacons on flight MH370′s data and cockpit voice recorders are due to fade, more than a month after the Boeing 777 vanished. So the Australian-led search is vying to determine an exact location before sending down a submersible to plumb the Indian Ocean depths.
The Perth-based Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said the latest ping was detected Thursday afternoon by an Australian air force P-3C Orion surveillance plane, which has been dropping dozens of sonar buoys into the remote waters of the search zone.
“The acoustic data will require further analysis overnight but shows potential of being from a made-made source,” JACC chief Angus Houston said in a statement.
The Australian ship Ocean Shield, bearing a special US Navy “towed pinger locator”, is now focused on a far smaller area of the Indian Ocean 2,280 kilometres (1,400 miles) northwest of Perth where it picked up two fresh signals Tuesday.
Those transmissions matched a pair of signals logged over the weekend.
“When you put those two (sets of pings) together, it makes us very optimistic,” US Seventh fleet spokesman commander William Marks said earlier on CNN, adding that the search was getting “closer and closer”.
“This is not something you find with commercial shipping, not something just found in nature — this is definitely something that is man-made, consistent with what you would find with these black boxes.”
Marks said he expected the pings to last “maybe another day or two” as the batteries powering the black box beacons fade after their normal lifespan of about 30 days.
No floating debris from the Malaysia Airlines aircraft, which disappeared on March 8 with 239 people aboard, has yet been found despite days of exhaustive searching by ships and aircraft from several nations.
Investigation still inconclusive
Houston said the high-tech underwater surveillance was meant to define a reduced and more manageable search area in depths of around four kilometres (2.5 miles), but he acknowledged that time was running out.
“I believe we are searching in the right area but we need to visually identify the aircraft before we can confirm with certainty that this is the final resting place of MH370,” he said Wednesday.
Houston again urged against unduly inflating hopes, for the sake of the families of missing passengers and crew who have endured a month-long nightmare punctuated by a number of false leads.
But he voiced renewed optimism.
“They (experts) believe the signals to be consistent with the specification and description of a flight data recorder,” he said.
No other ships will be allowed near the Ocean Shield as it must work in an environment as free of noise as possible, but up to 10 military aircraft, four civil planes and 13 ships were taking part in surface searches in the region on Thursday, the JACC said.
Houston said it would not be long before a US-made autonomous underwater vehicle called a Bluefin-21 would be sent down to investigate, but has cautioned that it will have to operate at the very limits of its capability given the vast depths involved.
In Malaysia, Home Minister Zahid Hamidi said there was “no conclusive evidence yet” from the continuing investigation into what caused the plane to divert from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route.
Zahid, who oversees law enforcement, said around 180 people had been interviewed, including relatives of passengers and crew as well as airline ground staff and engineers.
“We are filtering all the information. When the evidence is conclusive then we will let the media know about it,” he said.
A number of theories have been put forward to explain MH370′s baffling disappearance.
They include a hijacking or terrorist attack, a pilot gone rogue or a sudden catastrophic event that incapacitated the crew and left the plane to fly for hours until it ran out of fuel in its suspected Indian Ocean crash site.
But no evidence has emerged to bolster any theory.
- AFP
Deepa: Act fast before ex-hubby goes abroad
The mother who won the custody battle fears her ex-husband who took away her son will go overseas.
SEREMBAN: The mother, who won custody of her two children three days ago, wants police to arrest her Muslim convert ex-husband for violating a court order by abducting their six-year-old son.
S Deepa told FMT today that she was worried that Izwan Viran Abdullah might take her son overseas.
“Why are the police still unable to nab my ex-husband?” she asked.
She believed Izwan Viran must be in his hometown in Sungai Pelek, Selangor.
“What I’m going to do if Izwan Viran takes my son overseas or abducts my nine-year-old daughter Sharmila after this?” she asked.
“Police must take action soon because he has violated the court order by abducting my son,” said Deepa.
Deepa alleged that the Green Mitshubishi Pajero used in the abduction yesterday belonged to Yayasan Kasih Sayang where Izwan Viran was working.
“I have seen the Pajero at the Yayasan Kasih Sayang premises in Paroi before,” she said.
When contacted, the female staff of Yayasan Kasih Sayang said she would relay the message on the Pajero to her superior who was in Kuala Lumpur.
However, no one from Yayasan Kasih Sayang called FMT and verify the matter.
The Advocacy Officer of Women Aid Organisation, Sally Wangsawijaya, who is assisted Deepa in her court battle for divorce and custody of the children, urged the police to take action fast.
Sally said Izwan Viran had breached two offences.
First is the violation of Interim Protection Order that Deepa obtained from the Seremban Magistrate’s Court on Aug 30 last year for domestic violence.
“Izwan Viran is not supposed to go to Deepa’s home or get near her.
“Secondly, he violated the custody order given to Deepa by the Seremban High Court judge on Monday.
“We are concerned for her safety and children,” said Sally.
Jelebu police chief Deputy Supt Setapa Yusoff could not be reached for comments.
S Deepa told FMT today that she was worried that Izwan Viran Abdullah might take her son overseas.
“Why are the police still unable to nab my ex-husband?” she asked.
She believed Izwan Viran must be in his hometown in Sungai Pelek, Selangor.
“What I’m going to do if Izwan Viran takes my son overseas or abducts my nine-year-old daughter Sharmila after this?” she asked.
“Police must take action soon because he has violated the court order by abducting my son,” said Deepa.
Deepa alleged that the Green Mitshubishi Pajero used in the abduction yesterday belonged to Yayasan Kasih Sayang where Izwan Viran was working.
“I have seen the Pajero at the Yayasan Kasih Sayang premises in Paroi before,” she said.
When contacted, the female staff of Yayasan Kasih Sayang said she would relay the message on the Pajero to her superior who was in Kuala Lumpur.
However, no one from Yayasan Kasih Sayang called FMT and verify the matter.
The Advocacy Officer of Women Aid Organisation, Sally Wangsawijaya, who is assisted Deepa in her court battle for divorce and custody of the children, urged the police to take action fast.
Sally said Izwan Viran had breached two offences.
“Izwan Viran is not supposed to go to Deepa’s home or get near her.
“Secondly, he violated the custody order given to Deepa by the Seremban High Court judge on Monday.
“We are concerned for her safety and children,” said Sally.
Jelebu police chief Deputy Supt Setapa Yusoff could not be reached for comments.
But he denied claims by former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Dr Musa Hitam that he had asked Dr Mahathir to postpone his visit to China scheduled the day after the incident.
In a statement last week, Musa said he had asked Dr Mahathir to put off his China trip and cited three reasons: the incident had taken place in the prime minister’s home state of Kedah; it had involved Malay Muslims; and the postponement would convey the perception that the head of the country’s government’s concern and priority for a domestic crisis.
The day before Dr Mahathir’s trip to China, the police raided the small village where PAS leader Ibrahim Mahmud — also known as Ibrahim Libya — was teaching, killing 14 civilians including Ibrahim.
“On Nov 20, 1985, I led a massive private sector delegation to China because I believed there were abundant trade opportunities with China which had then only opened up to external trade participation.
“I cannot recall Tun Musa (Hitam) coming up to me to ask me not to go to Beijing but he was, with many others, at the airport, to wish me well on my trip to China. Even at that time I cannot recall if he (Musa) had advised me against going abroad, said Dr Mahathir today in a posting on his blog.
Dr Mahathir said he was very confident in the ability of Musa in handling the situation and that he had appointed the latter as the acting prime minister.
“I returned home on Nov 28, 1985. When I was abroad, there were no incidents that could not be handled by the deputy prime minister who was then the acting prime minister.”
“The issue with regards to me not being in Malaysia when the incident occurred was not spread by me. I did not mention this at all in my book. What is publicly known is that Dato Musa Hitam was the Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister at that time.
“The Inspector General of Police discussed and reported to him as the Home Minister. The Home Minister is also involved in making the decision on actions that needed to be taken. It is surely unbecoming if when things were going well, only then one admits to the responsibility.”
Musa has drawn consternation from politicians on both sides of the aisle with his disclosure at a public forum on March 27 that Dr Mahathir was in the country on the day of the violent clash in Memali.
Opposition lawmakers have demanded a royal inquiry into the Memali incident that had stained and cast a stigma on Islamist party, PAS.
Missing Plane Will Haunt Malaysia's Future
President Barack Obama
always knew his Asia tour later this month would be fraught with
political landmines. The two nations that lead off his itinerary -- U.S.
allies Japan and South Korea -- have been squabbling for more than a
year over World War II history. Another, the Philippines, is one of
Asia's economic bright spots even as President Benigno Aquino's
government is locked into a dangerous maritime territorial spat with
China -- a country Obama would rather not antagonize.
But most problematic of all may be Obama's time in Malaysia. Obama's visit -- the first by a U.S. leader to Kuala Lumpur in 50 years -- was meant to celebrate a nation viewed as a high-tech hub of moderate Islam and a democratic contrast to China. Six months ago, Obama hailed Malaysia as “an example of a dynamic economy" and touted its multiethnic society as a model to others. Today, amid the global outcry over the loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, such praise sounds naive. The past month has highlighted Malaysia's deepest flaws, and all-too-few of its strengths.
The international press has pilloried Prime Minister Najib Razak's government for its initial response to the crisis, which was marred by conflicting information, poor coordination with neighboring countries, defensiveness, and an apparent lack of transparency. Fairly or not, since March 8 when Flight 370 disappeared on its way to Beijing, Malaysia has lost a great deal of its standing both in the region and around the world.
At the same time, Najib's government has been clamping down on internal political dissent. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim once again faces the specter of jail on sodomy charges; Karpal Singh, chairman of the Democratic Action Party, is defending himself against sedition allegations. Local media outlets critical of Najib are on the defensive. The government has by contrast been silent on efforts by Islamic conservatives to limit who can use the word "Allah" -- a campaign that has eroded Malaysia's reputation for religious tolerance.
What can Najib's government do, post-Flight 370, to improve its image at home and abroad? This isn't a mere PR challenge. The country needs nothing less than a political revolution.
The Flight 370 crisis has fully exposed the dangers of allowing one party to rule a nation for six decades. Since rising to the top job in 2009, Najib has had to divert his attention from revitalizing Malaysia's economy to maintaining the United Malays National Organization's long hold on power. It's a full-time job: For years populist handouts, gerrymandered districts, and political arrests secured the party comfortable majorities, but in last year's election the ruling coalition lost the popular vote for the first time. Its ethnically Malay, largely rural base is dwindling.
Early on, Najib thrilled global investors by hinting that he would scrap his party's 40-year-old affirmative-action policies, which favor Malays. But UMNO's troubles prompted Najib to expand rather than eliminate such apartheid economics.
These affirmative-action policies stifle innovation and drive away investment. They disenfranchise the country's Indian and Chinese minorities, forcing many of them to seek their fortunes overseas. Malaysia is blessed with enviable natural resources. But it is willfully squandering its equally enviable human capital.
The longer Malaysia sticks with the racial preferences, the more graft and opacity will worsen and undermine growth. The only way to unshackle the economy -- which should be performing a lot more like South Korea than Vietnam -- is to end such policies.
Najib could start by announcing specific targets and dates to scrap Malay-friendly quotas on hiring, preferential treatment for government contracts, and perks involving everything from education to housing. Civil-service and Cabinet appointments should be about ability and nothing else -- not race, not sex, not age. Until and unless every lawmaker, ministry and government-linked corporation realizes they will have to answer for their actions and failings, the trust gap between Malaysians and their government will only widen.
Ending affirmative action would increase accountability and transparency within the government and the economy. It would bolster international confidence. The government's handling of Flight 370 was no fluke. The fumbling exposed a political elite that's never really had to face questioning from its people, never mind the rest of the world. That same political culture created and coddled national carrier Malaysia Airlines. Not surprisingly, even before this, the airline had fared poorly against peers amid growing global competition.
Six months ago, Obama could praise "Malaysia’s diversity, tolerance and progress" and "dynamic economy" as "a model to countries around the world." The president's speechwriters will have a hard time coming up with compliments that sound credible this time. Najib has the power to change that -- if he has the courage.
To contact the writer of this article: William Pesek at wpesek@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this article: Nisid Hajari at nhajari@bloomberg.net
But most problematic of all may be Obama's time in Malaysia. Obama's visit -- the first by a U.S. leader to Kuala Lumpur in 50 years -- was meant to celebrate a nation viewed as a high-tech hub of moderate Islam and a democratic contrast to China. Six months ago, Obama hailed Malaysia as “an example of a dynamic economy" and touted its multiethnic society as a model to others. Today, amid the global outcry over the loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, such praise sounds naive. The past month has highlighted Malaysia's deepest flaws, and all-too-few of its strengths.
The international press has pilloried Prime Minister Najib Razak's government for its initial response to the crisis, which was marred by conflicting information, poor coordination with neighboring countries, defensiveness, and an apparent lack of transparency. Fairly or not, since March 8 when Flight 370 disappeared on its way to Beijing, Malaysia has lost a great deal of its standing both in the region and around the world.
At the same time, Najib's government has been clamping down on internal political dissent. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim once again faces the specter of jail on sodomy charges; Karpal Singh, chairman of the Democratic Action Party, is defending himself against sedition allegations. Local media outlets critical of Najib are on the defensive. The government has by contrast been silent on efforts by Islamic conservatives to limit who can use the word "Allah" -- a campaign that has eroded Malaysia's reputation for religious tolerance.
What can Najib's government do, post-Flight 370, to improve its image at home and abroad? This isn't a mere PR challenge. The country needs nothing less than a political revolution.
The Flight 370 crisis has fully exposed the dangers of allowing one party to rule a nation for six decades. Since rising to the top job in 2009, Najib has had to divert his attention from revitalizing Malaysia's economy to maintaining the United Malays National Organization's long hold on power. It's a full-time job: For years populist handouts, gerrymandered districts, and political arrests secured the party comfortable majorities, but in last year's election the ruling coalition lost the popular vote for the first time. Its ethnically Malay, largely rural base is dwindling.
Early on, Najib thrilled global investors by hinting that he would scrap his party's 40-year-old affirmative-action policies, which favor Malays. But UMNO's troubles prompted Najib to expand rather than eliminate such apartheid economics.
These affirmative-action policies stifle innovation and drive away investment. They disenfranchise the country's Indian and Chinese minorities, forcing many of them to seek their fortunes overseas. Malaysia is blessed with enviable natural resources. But it is willfully squandering its equally enviable human capital.
The longer Malaysia sticks with the racial preferences, the more graft and opacity will worsen and undermine growth. The only way to unshackle the economy -- which should be performing a lot more like South Korea than Vietnam -- is to end such policies.
Najib could start by announcing specific targets and dates to scrap Malay-friendly quotas on hiring, preferential treatment for government contracts, and perks involving everything from education to housing. Civil-service and Cabinet appointments should be about ability and nothing else -- not race, not sex, not age. Until and unless every lawmaker, ministry and government-linked corporation realizes they will have to answer for their actions and failings, the trust gap between Malaysians and their government will only widen.
Ending affirmative action would increase accountability and transparency within the government and the economy. It would bolster international confidence. The government's handling of Flight 370 was no fluke. The fumbling exposed a political elite that's never really had to face questioning from its people, never mind the rest of the world. That same political culture created and coddled national carrier Malaysia Airlines. Not surprisingly, even before this, the airline had fared poorly against peers amid growing global competition.
Six months ago, Obama could praise "Malaysia’s diversity, tolerance and progress" and "dynamic economy" as "a model to countries around the world." The president's speechwriters will have a hard time coming up with compliments that sound credible this time. Najib has the power to change that -- if he has the courage.
To contact the editor responsible for this article: Nisid Hajari at nhajari@bloomberg.net
MH370 exposes Hall of Shame
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, like the prime ministers before him, has let down the nation, but the investigation into MH370 has trashed Malaysia’s reputation.
We need a cull of the political class to regain our credibility as a nation. We should start with the following initiates of the ‘Hall of Shame’. Politicians head the list, then civil servants. If the civil servants were to be replaced before the politicians, the new ones would be corrupted by their political masters, who dictate to them.
Malaysia has been on auto-pilot for several decades and the nation has been performing like a rudderless aeroplane. MH370 signals the beginning of the end of Umno Baru.
The Malaysian Hall of Shame
Number One: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. Two words describe the MH370 “investigations”: Mismanaged. Mishandled. (MM).
MH370 may have been an unprecedented incident but the crisis management team was shambolic, with several people issuing contradictory official statements. Our confidence and trust has been shaken to the core despite all the big talk and the hundreds of billions of ringgits spent on military hardware and sophisticated equipment. We may have the best machinery that money can buy, but are monkeys operating them?
In the first few days of MH370’s disappearance, Najib and his wife, the self-styled ‘First Lady of Malaysia’ (FLOM), sought to gain cheap publicity by “weeping with the families of the passengers and crew of MH370”.
Did Najib make a premature announcement that MH370 had crashed into the Southern Indian Ocean, based on one mathematical interpretation by one company? The local press are conditioned not to ask awkward questions but foreign journalists demand answers.
Number Two: Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. Hishammuddin (left in photo) justified Malaysia’s mismanagement of the MH370 investigations by saying that history will judge Malaysia well.People ask, “Who writes the history books if not the Malaysian cabinet and their proteges?”
Hishammuddiin told the families of passengers and crew of MH370 that miracles do happen. The act of giving false hope is as bad as trading on people’s grief.
Number Three: Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. His response to the stolen passport fiasco at KLIA is symptomatic of a sick nation. He told parliament, “Furthermore, Interpol’s information of lost (passports) may slow down the process of immigration checks at counters.”
Zahid prefers speed to efficiency and safety/security concerns. Interpol has since given Zahid a dressing down and said the checks take 0.2 seconds per passport.
Malaysia is a hub for human trafficking and people have alleged that our police and immigration officials are involved. Will Zahid clean up his department?
Number Four: Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri. Abdul Rahim told Parliament that the RMAF “assumed” that Flight MH370 had been ordered to turn back by the civilian air traffic controllers.
Following a public outcry, he backpedalled and said that HE had made this assumption. So did the RMAF make this assumption or was Abdul Rahim forced to retract his statement. His U-turn is typical of the tactics of the government of Malaysia.
Lack of communication
Number Five: The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman. Azharuddin contradicted the statements of the home ministry and the inspector-general of polcie (IGP). More worrying than this is the lack of communication between the military and civil aviation authorities.
The MH370 investigation has lacked transparency and is mired in intrigue. This incident has reminded us of the question, by the opposition MP Nurul Izzah Anwar in June 2012, about the roles of the DCA and the Transport Ministry in the award of the contract for the supply of the RM128.4 million air traffic control system to a minster’s family through “closed tender”.
Three weeks ago, we were told that the final words from the cockpit were “All right, good night”. In the past few days, the DCA issued a correction and said the final words were “Good night. Malaysian Three-Seven-Zero”.
How can the public be expected to put their faith in the DCA or the investigative bodies with such a simple error as this? So what else is wrong?
Number Six: MAS CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya. When the reputations of the pilot and co-pilot on MH370 were being trashed, Ahmad Jauhari (right)
failed to defend his men. Although he did speak on their behalf, he
waited several days and the damage was already done. His failure to act
immediately demoralised all of the MAS employees.The sending of a text message to the families of the passengers and crew of MH370, ahead of Najib’s announcement that MH370 had gone down in the southern Indian Ocean, is symptomatic of the poor customer relations in MAS. Many people have previously stated that their complaints are rarely acknowledged or addressed.
Number Seven: Chief of the Armed Forces Zulkifeli Mohd Zin. He despatched ships from Lumut on the night MH370 disappeared. He then claimed that a C-130 plane was sent to scout the area the following morning.
What made Zulkifeli confident that he was scouring a potential crash site, thousands of kilometres from where Najib had directed others in the search and rescue (SAR) operations? Is Zulkifeli hiding something from us?
Number Eight: Chief of the RMAF Rodzali Daud. An unidentified plane was picked up by military radar around 200 nautical miles northwest of Penang in the Straits of Malacca, at about the time MH370 went missing. The military failed to act on this information, wasting both time and opportunity.
Number Nine: IGP Khalid Abu Bakar. When asked about the contradictory descriptions of the men using stolen passports, a dismissive Khalid said, “Why ask me? Ask Immigration, or ask Interpol.”
The defence minister asked everyone to avoid speculation, but Khalid said that his policemen were analysing all the speculation on the Internet to help in the MH370 investigations.
The IGP should focus on facts, rather than investigating speculation and rumour. He should chase criminals, rather than hound opposition politicians and NGOs.
Number Ten: Witch-doctor Ibrahim Mat Zain, or Raja Bomoh. This shaman heaped ridicule on the country when, at the entrance to KLIA, he used his bamboo binoculars and two coconuts to divine that MH370 had been hijacked by elves and the plane was either suspended in mid-air or had crashed into the sea. He should be jailed if he refuses to say who sent him to KLIA, to mock the suffering of the passengers and crew of MH370.
Bonus: It is reported that Najib’s favourite number is 11. When former PM Mahathir Mohamad resigned, he continued to make his presence felt by refusing to hand over the controls of the airship Malaysia, which he was flying to mediocrity. Mahathir completes the list by being the eleventh member of Malaysia’s Hall of Shame.
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).
June tabling for hudud bill?
The New Straits Times
By SULAIMAN JAAFAR
By SULAIMAN JAAFAR
SEEKING EXPERTS' VIEWS: Deputy menteri besar says draft of the bill is ready
KOTA
BARU: THE private bill seeking a declaration that Kelantan Syariah
Criminal Code Enactment II or hudud can be implemented in the state will
be tabled in Parliament, the earliest by June.
Deputy
Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the draft of the bill
was ready and needed only experts' views for further improvement.
"We
want to table it possibly this year. If there is time, it will be done
in June, and if it is not possible, then, in December.
"However,
we have not decided who will table the bill," he said after chairing
the inaugural technical committee meeting on the enactment here
yesterday.
On
the much delayed meeting, Amar said it was attended by most of the 19
committee members, including state police chief Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul
Rahman.
The
notable absentees were former Chief Justice Tun Salleh Abbas and former
International Islamic University lecturer Dr Abdul Aziz Bari.
Pengkalan Chepa Prison director Zawari Abdul Rashid did not attend the meeting but sent a representative.
The
technical committee was formed in October 2011 and the first meeting
was postponed several times although several forums and discussions had
been held in Kuala Lumpur.
Amar
said the findings made during the pre-committee meetings were tabled in
yesterday's meeting and would be presented to the state executive
council.
"Another suggestion made at today's meeting was to improve the enactment to clarify further several issues.
"This
includes whether a rape victim, who is unable to bring four witnesses,
which is virtually impossible, can be sentenced for qazaf (making false
accusation).
"We will bring these issues to the state exco meeting next week."
Najib Reminds People Against Changing Government Arbitrarily
KUANTAN, April 10 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Thursday reminded the people against moving to arbitrarily change the government of today.
He said the government of today had proven that it could implement the change and development that the people desired.
"Let's not change the government (of today) just because we want a change; more importantly, we want change and progress. Why must we change if the (Barisan Nasional) party can fulfil and implement the change and progress?" he said at the presentation of land titles for the Seri Damai Collective Land Scheme near Kuantan.
Najib said there was a possibility that what the people hoped for could not be fulfilled if they were to go for the change.
"We must know the ultimate outcome," he said.
Najib, who is the MP for Pekan, said many countries where the government had been overthrown by the people did not achieve the desired outcome.
He said the people should maintain their trust in the government of today to help realise the government's mission to make the country a developed nation by 2020.
At the event, the prime minister handed out land titles to 167 participants. Each individual received a 0.4-hectare plot.
The Seri Damai scheme was initiated in November 1985 along with 36 other schemes in the Kuantan district.
Thursday, 10 April 2014
'Raja bomoh' off to Oz, says passengers alive
Latest developments:
Will no one ever be blamed for MH370?
1:55 pm: "We only get denials and apologies but is no one going to take the blame for MH370?” A Malaysian whose husband, Azrai Izet, was on the still missing plane, asked this in an open letter published on AstroAwani's website.
Fadzilah Abdul Rahim questioned why the authorities cannot own up to mistakes or give the truth. She said that more than false comforts offered by MAS, the passenger's families really wanted the truth.
"I am sure Malaysians don't want 239 people to perish for no good reason. We want an assurance that such an incident cannot happen again to anyone else," Fadzilah wrote in Malay.
Specifically, Fadzilah added she would like to know:
"Who is responsible for passenger and aircraft safety, airline industry standards and for guarding Malaysia's airspace? And has anything been changed since?"
She noted that authorities have yet to explain why the army and the airport control tower could not trace or intercept the flight in time and how two stowaways could have boarded using false passports.
Read her full letter here.
Now 'raja bomoh' is heading down under
12.15pm: Since his last 'raise the dead' ritual on Pulau Sembilan late last month didn't get any clear signals from the afterworld, self-styled 'Bomoh King' Ibrahim Mat Zain is now saying passengers on board MH370 may still be alive.
In
his latest offering, Ibrahim says he will go to Australia so that Malay
traditional methods can work hand-in-hand with “science and technology”
methods now being used in the search operation.
"In my view, as a raja bomoh, they are alive. It (the plane) can be in the air, on an island somewhere, but surely not in the ocean," Ibrahim says in a YouTube video uploaded by Suara TV yesterday.
Speaker: No intention to mislead with 'assumption'
12pm: Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia finds that Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri did not intend to confuse Parliament when he initially claimed the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) had "assumed" the missing Flight MH370 was ordered to turn back by air traffic control.
M'sia needs 'more than PR exercise'
11.40 am: Bloomberg columnist William Pesek says the Malaysian government has much to do, much more than a major PR exercise, to regain its reputation that in the aftermath of the MH370 crisis, saying it must be "nothing less than a political revolution".
Ahead
of possible upcoming visit of US President Barack Obama - the first by a
US leader to Kuala Lumpur in 50 years - Pesek recommends Prime Minister
Najib Abdul Razak end all affirmative action policies based on
ethnicity, which he dubbed "apartheid economics."
Writing from Tokyo, Pesek urges Najib to also take a break from his punitive campaign against the opposition and the ‘Allah’ issue.
"The Flight 370 crisis has fully exposed the dangers of allowing one party to rule a nation for six decades," Pesek writes in an editorial on Bloomberg View.
US: Deigo Garcia conspiracy untrue
11.18am: The United States denies the conspiracy theory that the missing jetliner is at its Indian Ocean naval base Diego Garcia.
"The speculation that passenger Philip Woods had sent a photo message from Diego Garcia is not true...
"There is no sign that MH370 flew anywhere close to the Maldives or Diego Garcia," an unnamed spokesperson for the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is quoted by Sinar Harian as saying.
The spokesperson adds that it only provides information upon request and Malaysia has not requested for data from US satellite located in Pine Gap, Australia.
What is the black box?
11am: The black box contains a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder. In 1960, Australia became the first country in the world to make black boxes mandatory for all commercial aircraft.
The black box is especially useful in the aftermath of a plane crash, with its underwater locator beacon (ULB). The ULB is activated as soon as the recorder hits water and can transmit from a depth of up to 14,000 feet (4.3 kilometres).
According to the National Geographic Channel,
the cockpit voice recorder picks up all sounds within the cockpit,
including pilot and crew banter, engine noise, warning pings and pops.
Located in the tail end of a plane, it records on a two-hour loop.
In the case of MH370, other than recording the last words of the pilots before the plane went down, this recorder may not be able to shed much light at to the reason it deviated course as the plane had continued to fly for more than two hours after it ceased contact with air traffic control.
The flight data recorder, meanwhile, picks up the plane's altitude, airspeed and direction among others. It can help generate computer video reconstructions of a flight to help investigators visualise a crash and can record for 25 hours straight.
Also, to help investigators find them: a black box is not actually black at all, but bright orange.
Total four pings detected from man-made device
10am: To recap, the towed pinger locator being used by Ocean Shield has to date detected four ping signals northwest of Perth - two on Saturday and another two were reacquired on Tuesday.
Acoustic
analysis of the first two transmissions assessed they were not of
natural origin, but were emitted from a man-made electronic equipment,
most likely a flight data recorder such as those contained in a plane's
black box.
The signals were, however, getting weaker, possibly indicating that the black box battery is dying out as it has surpassed its 30-day expected lifespan.
According
to a map from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the four pings
heard so far came from a triangular zone with one side almost 30
kilometers long.
Yesterday, JACC chief Angus Houston (left) told reporters it would be a "matter of days" before a torpedo-like mini-submarine drone is deployed to the bottom of the ocean, some 4.5kilometres down.
Searchers want to exhaust use of the pinger locator until they are certain the black box’s emergency beacon has ceased all transmissions.
The underwater device, called Bluefin-21 and loaned from the US Navy, will hopefully give conclusive evidence as to MH370's “final resting place”, he said.
Nazri to visit Chinese ambassador
9am: In his capacity as Inter-Parliamentary Union Malaysia chairperson, Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, along with several other MPs, will visit Chinese ambassador Huang Huikang today.
The Star Online reports that the visit is an "expression of solidarity" with the Chinese people who are grieving over missing Flight MH370.
Nazri (right) also reiterates that he is halting all tourism roadshows in China until there is closure for MH370.
"So long as there is no closure, I do not think it is appropriate to continue the roadshows in China."
China is Malaysia's third largest market for tourism and the MH370 incident, with 152 China nationals on board, have affected tourist arrivals during Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
Search area significantly reduced
6am: The
Australia-led search for Flight MH370 has successfully narrowed the
search area by nearly four-fold after discovering four transmissions, a
from likely black box, by using a towed pinger locator to comb the south
Indian Ocean from last Friday.
As the eight-nation backed search enters its 34th day, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) says today they are now confident of spotting the Boeing 777 within an area of 58,000 square kilometre northwest of Perth.
This compares to the initial search area of 217,000 sq km when the pinger locator was first deployed into the waters on April 4.
Up
to 10 military aircraft, four civil aircraft and 13 ships will assist
today's search, while the main underwater search will still be led by
Australia’s defence vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield, assisted by Chinese ship
Haixun 01 and the HMS Echo.
"Aircraft and ships reported spotting a large number of objects during yesterday's search, but only a small number were able to be recovered.
"None of the recovered items were believed to be associated with MH370," JACC adds in its daily statement.
On the weather, JACC ays it expects moderate winds and isolated showers, although visibility is expected to be fair.
Background:
-
'Raja bomoh' says passengers are alive, not in ocean
-
'Plane not at US Diego Garcia naval base'
-
Visit Malaysia tourism roadshows in China scrapped
-
Search area refined four fold with ping findings
- Floating objects retrieved not from MH370
Will no one ever be blamed for MH370?
1:55 pm: "We only get denials and apologies but is no one going to take the blame for MH370?” A Malaysian whose husband, Azrai Izet, was on the still missing plane, asked this in an open letter published on AstroAwani's website.
Fadzilah Abdul Rahim questioned why the authorities cannot own up to mistakes or give the truth. She said that more than false comforts offered by MAS, the passenger's families really wanted the truth.
"I am sure Malaysians don't want 239 people to perish for no good reason. We want an assurance that such an incident cannot happen again to anyone else," Fadzilah wrote in Malay.
Specifically, Fadzilah added she would like to know:
"Who is responsible for passenger and aircraft safety, airline industry standards and for guarding Malaysia's airspace? And has anything been changed since?"
She noted that authorities have yet to explain why the army and the airport control tower could not trace or intercept the flight in time and how two stowaways could have boarded using false passports.
Read her full letter here.
Now 'raja bomoh' is heading down under
12.15pm: Since his last 'raise the dead' ritual on Pulau Sembilan late last month didn't get any clear signals from the afterworld, self-styled 'Bomoh King' Ibrahim Mat Zain is now saying passengers on board MH370 may still be alive.
In
his latest offering, Ibrahim says he will go to Australia so that Malay
traditional methods can work hand-in-hand with “science and technology”
methods now being used in the search operation."In my view, as a raja bomoh, they are alive. It (the plane) can be in the air, on an island somewhere, but surely not in the ocean," Ibrahim says in a YouTube video uploaded by Suara TV yesterday.
Speaker: No intention to mislead with 'assumption'
12pm: Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia finds that Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri did not intend to confuse Parliament when he initially claimed the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) had "assumed" the missing Flight MH370 was ordered to turn back by air traffic control.
The speaker today says he accepts Rahim's added-on explanation that the
latter had relayed his own personal "assumption" when informing MPs on
March 26 that that was the reason the RMAF did not act to intercept the
plane when it had the chance to on the day it went missing.
Read more here.
Read more here.
M'sia needs 'more than PR exercise'
11.40 am: Bloomberg columnist William Pesek says the Malaysian government has much to do, much more than a major PR exercise, to regain its reputation that in the aftermath of the MH370 crisis, saying it must be "nothing less than a political revolution".
Ahead
of possible upcoming visit of US President Barack Obama - the first by a
US leader to Kuala Lumpur in 50 years - Pesek recommends Prime Minister
Najib Abdul Razak end all affirmative action policies based on
ethnicity, which he dubbed "apartheid economics."Writing from Tokyo, Pesek urges Najib to also take a break from his punitive campaign against the opposition and the ‘Allah’ issue.
"The Flight 370 crisis has fully exposed the dangers of allowing one party to rule a nation for six decades," Pesek writes in an editorial on Bloomberg View.
US: Deigo Garcia conspiracy untrue
11.18am: The United States denies the conspiracy theory that the missing jetliner is at its Indian Ocean naval base Diego Garcia.
"The speculation that passenger Philip Woods had sent a photo message from Diego Garcia is not true..."There is no sign that MH370 flew anywhere close to the Maldives or Diego Garcia," an unnamed spokesperson for the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is quoted by Sinar Harian as saying.
The spokesperson adds that it only provides information upon request and Malaysia has not requested for data from US satellite located in Pine Gap, Australia.
What is the black box?
11am: The black box contains a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder. In 1960, Australia became the first country in the world to make black boxes mandatory for all commercial aircraft.
The black box is especially useful in the aftermath of a plane crash, with its underwater locator beacon (ULB). The ULB is activated as soon as the recorder hits water and can transmit from a depth of up to 14,000 feet (4.3 kilometres).
According to the National Geographic Channel,
the cockpit voice recorder picks up all sounds within the cockpit,
including pilot and crew banter, engine noise, warning pings and pops.
Located in the tail end of a plane, it records on a two-hour loop.In the case of MH370, other than recording the last words of the pilots before the plane went down, this recorder may not be able to shed much light at to the reason it deviated course as the plane had continued to fly for more than two hours after it ceased contact with air traffic control.
The flight data recorder, meanwhile, picks up the plane's altitude, airspeed and direction among others. It can help generate computer video reconstructions of a flight to help investigators visualise a crash and can record for 25 hours straight.
Also, to help investigators find them: a black box is not actually black at all, but bright orange.
Total four pings detected from man-made device
10am: To recap, the towed pinger locator being used by Ocean Shield has to date detected four ping signals northwest of Perth - two on Saturday and another two were reacquired on Tuesday.
Acoustic
analysis of the first two transmissions assessed they were not of
natural origin, but were emitted from a man-made electronic equipment,
most likely a flight data recorder such as those contained in a plane's
black box.The signals were, however, getting weaker, possibly indicating that the black box battery is dying out as it has surpassed its 30-day expected lifespan.
According
to a map from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the four pings
heard so far came from a triangular zone with one side almost 30
kilometers long.Yesterday, JACC chief Angus Houston (left) told reporters it would be a "matter of days" before a torpedo-like mini-submarine drone is deployed to the bottom of the ocean, some 4.5kilometres down.
Searchers want to exhaust use of the pinger locator until they are certain the black box’s emergency beacon has ceased all transmissions.
The underwater device, called Bluefin-21 and loaned from the US Navy, will hopefully give conclusive evidence as to MH370's “final resting place”, he said.
Nazri to visit Chinese ambassador
9am: In his capacity as Inter-Parliamentary Union Malaysia chairperson, Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, along with several other MPs, will visit Chinese ambassador Huang Huikang today.
The Star Online reports that the visit is an "expression of solidarity" with the Chinese people who are grieving over missing Flight MH370.Nazri (right) also reiterates that he is halting all tourism roadshows in China until there is closure for MH370.
"So long as there is no closure, I do not think it is appropriate to continue the roadshows in China."
China is Malaysia's third largest market for tourism and the MH370 incident, with 152 China nationals on board, have affected tourist arrivals during Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
Search area significantly reduced
6am: The
Australia-led search for Flight MH370 has successfully narrowed the
search area by nearly four-fold after discovering four transmissions, a
from likely black box, by using a towed pinger locator to comb the south
Indian Ocean from last Friday.As the eight-nation backed search enters its 34th day, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) says today they are now confident of spotting the Boeing 777 within an area of 58,000 square kilometre northwest of Perth.
This compares to the initial search area of 217,000 sq km when the pinger locator was first deployed into the waters on April 4.
Up
to 10 military aircraft, four civil aircraft and 13 ships will assist
today's search, while the main underwater search will still be led by
Australia’s defence vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield, assisted by Chinese ship
Haixun 01 and the HMS Echo."Aircraft and ships reported spotting a large number of objects during yesterday's search, but only a small number were able to be recovered.
"None of the recovered items were believed to be associated with MH370," JACC adds in its daily statement.
On the weather, JACC ays it expects moderate winds and isolated showers, although visibility is expected to be fair.
Background:
-
The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200ER aircraft went missing not long after
taking off from KL International Airport in the early hours of March 8,
with 12 crew members and 227 passengers.
-
Authorities have determined the plane intentionally turned back and
altered its course shortly after cutting communications with tower
controllers for unknown reasons.
-
"Groundbreaking" data analysis on the six last 'pings' between MH370 and
British company Inmarsat's communications satellite has yielded clues
to the aircraft's position and heading, leading investigators to narrow
down the search area to the south Indian Ocean.
- Australia leads the search in the south Indian Ocean. As of March 30, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) is tasked with overseeing the operations, led by retired air marshal and former defence chief Angus Houston.
HRW: Malaysia accused of shocking human rights violations, abuses against Shiite minority
Brief
“Among the marginalized in Malaysia, there is a single group
perhaps more marginalized than many. They are the people that Malaysia
has forgotten. They are the Shiite Muslims” says Loyar Burok, a popular
Malaysian blog. The article is entitled “Shiite Muslims in Malaysia: A
Cultural Genocide.”
Malaysia has a serious human
rights problem, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), which released a
100+ page report entitled “No Answers, No Apologies” detailing abuses by
Malaysian authorities. The report comes on the heels of accounts that
Malaysia arrested infants from the country’s minority Shiite Muslim
sect, based upon the “crime” of engaging in Shiite religious practices.
International attention has been given to Malaysia after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing last month, and human rights watchdogs welcome the focus.
“Unjustified shootings, mistreatment and deaths in custody, and excessive use of force in dispersing public assemblies persist because of an absence of meaningful accountability for Malaysia’s police force, the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP),” says the HRW report.
The human rights abuses are directed at all sectors of Malaysian society, however significant media attention has been drawn towards the plight of Shia Muslims in Malaysia, who are facing increased discrimination on a daily basis.
“Among the marginalized in Malaysia, there is a single group perhaps more marginalized than many. They are the people that Malaysia has forgotten. They are the Shiite Muslims” says Loyar Burok, a popular Malaysian blog. The article is entitled “Shiite Muslims in Malaysia: A Cultural Genocide.”
The issue of anti Shia human rights abuses is slowly becoming endemic to the country’s populace. On Reddit, on a discussion of human rights abuses in Malaysia, one user wrote “In Malaysia, Shia is considered deviant […] You also not allowed to form a group to practice your faith. Yes we are stern in protecting our faith and our children faith and to keep it pure from innovation. Regarding Allah words, it was the right move, because there were underground movement to spread confusion among muslim youth in the country.”
When questioned about the morality of the behavior of the Malaysian government, the same user replied with a horrific account of conditions in Malaysia: “They were not oppressed, most probably they would end up in rehabilitation center to correct their faith.”
Last summer, government officials in the Malaysian state of Kedah announced their intention to curb Syiah (the Malaysian word for Shia Muslim) practices, authorities view as illegitimate. Malaysian media reported that elected officials said “When the fatwa is [announced], it will be enforced immediately to ensure Muslims do not deviate from the true teachings of Islam.”
The same official also expressed an interest in preventing Shia Muslims from exercising their funeral rights, and Free Malaysia Today reports he said “It is contrary to our usual practice as a Sunni Muslim. So, this is one of the things that is happening and we will try to avoid it from spreading.”
Malaysia’s “The Sun Daily” reported that a nearby state, Pahang, also banned Shia teachings “because [Shia] teachings are different.”
The national government later also banned all Shiite teachings, “All states have agreed that Syiah teachings should not be allowed in the country” said Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, according to the Sun. Earlier this year, an Imam was arrested and imprisoned for possessing books on Shiite teachings. In a startling incident, the deputy president of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party was obligated to prove he had no ties to Shia Muslims, after he was accused of making positive remarks about Shia individuals.
Another government official complained that more was not being done to combat the religious belief set. “Since the Syiah was gazetted as illegal by the National Fatwa Council in 1984 and 1997, not much enforcement was done,” said Home Ministry Security and Public Order assistant secretary Zamihan Md Zain Al-Ghari according to the Sun.
Other Malaysian media was quoted as saying “Those who practice [sic] Syiah will be severely dealt with, regardness [sic] of status or political ideology, and will not be accepted in the country.”
The campaign has not gone unnoticed by Middle Eastern countries and business leaders.
“An unofficial boycott of Malaysian goods by Iranian businessmen has left rubber products worth some RM2 million lying in a warehouse in the Middle East nation, a backlash against Umno’s recent anti-Shia campaign,” reported The Malaysian Insider.
“Since the anti-Shia campaign in Malaysia last year, Iranian businessmen refused to buy Malaysian-made products,” said one individual to the paper.
Malaysian leaders have refused to back down in the face of economic ruin, and Mufti Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh told the Malaysian paper Berita Harian that “Shiism could be regarded as a ‘poison’ that can destroy the harmony and security of the country.”
The Mufti made the remarks at a conference held in Malaysia’s capital entitled “Facing the Shiite Virus.”
The Human Rights Report features a 7 page section on recommendations the country can take to halt police abuses, however stopped shy of recommendations on other pervasive human rights abuses.
International attention has been given to Malaysia after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing last month, and human rights watchdogs welcome the focus.
“Unjustified shootings, mistreatment and deaths in custody, and excessive use of force in dispersing public assemblies persist because of an absence of meaningful accountability for Malaysia’s police force, the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP),” says the HRW report.
The human rights abuses are directed at all sectors of Malaysian society, however significant media attention has been drawn towards the plight of Shia Muslims in Malaysia, who are facing increased discrimination on a daily basis.
“Among the marginalized in Malaysia, there is a single group perhaps more marginalized than many. They are the people that Malaysia has forgotten. They are the Shiite Muslims” says Loyar Burok, a popular Malaysian blog. The article is entitled “Shiite Muslims in Malaysia: A Cultural Genocide.”
The issue of anti Shia human rights abuses is slowly becoming endemic to the country’s populace. On Reddit, on a discussion of human rights abuses in Malaysia, one user wrote “In Malaysia, Shia is considered deviant […] You also not allowed to form a group to practice your faith. Yes we are stern in protecting our faith and our children faith and to keep it pure from innovation. Regarding Allah words, it was the right move, because there were underground movement to spread confusion among muslim youth in the country.”
When questioned about the morality of the behavior of the Malaysian government, the same user replied with a horrific account of conditions in Malaysia: “They were not oppressed, most probably they would end up in rehabilitation center to correct their faith.”
Last summer, government officials in the Malaysian state of Kedah announced their intention to curb Syiah (the Malaysian word for Shia Muslim) practices, authorities view as illegitimate. Malaysian media reported that elected officials said “When the fatwa is [announced], it will be enforced immediately to ensure Muslims do not deviate from the true teachings of Islam.”
The same official also expressed an interest in preventing Shia Muslims from exercising their funeral rights, and Free Malaysia Today reports he said “It is contrary to our usual practice as a Sunni Muslim. So, this is one of the things that is happening and we will try to avoid it from spreading.”
Malaysia’s “The Sun Daily” reported that a nearby state, Pahang, also banned Shia teachings “because [Shia] teachings are different.”
The national government later also banned all Shiite teachings, “All states have agreed that Syiah teachings should not be allowed in the country” said Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, according to the Sun. Earlier this year, an Imam was arrested and imprisoned for possessing books on Shiite teachings. In a startling incident, the deputy president of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party was obligated to prove he had no ties to Shia Muslims, after he was accused of making positive remarks about Shia individuals.
Another government official complained that more was not being done to combat the religious belief set. “Since the Syiah was gazetted as illegal by the National Fatwa Council in 1984 and 1997, not much enforcement was done,” said Home Ministry Security and Public Order assistant secretary Zamihan Md Zain Al-Ghari according to the Sun.
Other Malaysian media was quoted as saying “Those who practice [sic] Syiah will be severely dealt with, regardness [sic] of status or political ideology, and will not be accepted in the country.”
The campaign has not gone unnoticed by Middle Eastern countries and business leaders.
“An unofficial boycott of Malaysian goods by Iranian businessmen has left rubber products worth some RM2 million lying in a warehouse in the Middle East nation, a backlash against Umno’s recent anti-Shia campaign,” reported The Malaysian Insider.
“Since the anti-Shia campaign in Malaysia last year, Iranian businessmen refused to buy Malaysian-made products,” said one individual to the paper.
Malaysian leaders have refused to back down in the face of economic ruin, and Mufti Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh told the Malaysian paper Berita Harian that “Shiism could be regarded as a ‘poison’ that can destroy the harmony and security of the country.”
The Mufti made the remarks at a conference held in Malaysia’s capital entitled “Facing the Shiite Virus.”
The Human Rights Report features a 7 page section on recommendations the country can take to halt police abuses, however stopped shy of recommendations on other pervasive human rights abuses.
Shariah Court is on par with civil court, say Muslim lawyers group
The Shariah Court is on par with the civil court under amendments to Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution in June 1988, the Muslim Lawyers' Association of Malaysia told the Ipoh High Court today.Lawyer Mohamed Hanif Khatri Abdulla (crt) said this was supported by the Federal Court which had made judicial pronouncements on three occasions between 1992 and 2008.
"To suggest that the High Court has supervisory role over the Shariah Court is an affront to the purpose and intent of Article 121 (1A)," he said.
The association is appearing as amicus curae (friend of the court) on the invitation of High Court judge Lee Swee Seng to assist him in making a ruling since the civil court and Shariah Court have issued separate custody orders for three underaged children.
Hanif was submitting in a contempt proceeding brought by kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi against her estranged husband who had converted to Islam.
He subsequently converted the children – Tevi Darsiny, 16, Karan Dinish, 15, and Prasana Diksa, 3 – and obtained custody from the Shariah Court in September 2009.
Indira obtained her custody order from the High Court in 2010.
However, her husband, Muhammad Ridzuan Abdullah, refused to return their youngest child, Prasana Diksa (Ummu Habibah), to Indira.
Ridzuan, who was known as K. Patmanathan, has been holding on to Prisana Diksa since April 2009 when she was 11 months old.
Last July 25, Lee, in a landmark decision, quashed the certificates of conversion of the three children and ruled that the certificates were null and void because they were unconstitutional.
Under the Perak state enactment, it was a statutory requirement for a child to be present before a certificate of conversion could be issued.
He also cited provisions under the Perak Shariah law, where the children must be present to utter the affirmation of faith (Dua Kalimah Syahadah).
Indira married the then K. Patmanathan (Muhammad Riduan), 20 years ago according to Hindu rites.
Hanif said Islam, under Article 3 of the Constitution, was the official religion of the Federation and was above all other religions which were allowed to be practised in peace in the country.
"The word Islam is not restricted to ritual only but must be interpreted as a way of life. So Article 3 imposed an obligation on the Federation to protect, defend and safeguard Islam," he added.
In the light of judicial pronouncements and special position of Islam, he said it was beyond doubt that the religion was a basic structure in the Federal Constitution and could not be moved or altered.
He said another basic structure of the Constitution was that there was a separation of power between the Federation and the states to enact laws as provided under the ninth schedule of the supreme law.
"It is crystal clear that on matters pertaining under the state list, the Federal government cannot legislate on subjects relating to Islam," he said.
He also said the Guardianship of Infants Act 1961 and the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 were not applicable.
He said under the Law Reform Act, Indira Gandhi could only dissolve her marriage with her spouse and the civil court had no jurisdiction to give her custody of the children nor can it hold the estranged husband to being in contempt of court.
Lee adjourned hearing to April 16. – April 9, 2014.
'Convert ex-husband snatched my son, kicked me' - Malaysiakini
"I held on to his leg as the car was moving but he kicked me and I fell on the road.
"I have injuries on my head, legs, ankles and elbows," said S Deepa when recounting this morning's ordeal.
According to Deepa, her former husband, Izwan Abdullah, 30, came to her house in Jelebu around 9am and called out their son's name.
When the boy appeared, she said, Izwan, who works with an Islamic NGO, grabbed their son and immediately ran to the car, with another person at the wheel.
The 30-year-old clerk later filed a report with the Seremban district police headquarters.
Court decision
On Monday, the High Court in Seremban granted Deepa a divorce and custody of the couple’s son and nine-year-old daughter.
However, the children remain Muslim converts and Deepa must pursue a separate case to revoke their conversion.
Izwan, who converted to Islam last year and later converted the two children without their mother’s knowledge, was visibly upset with the court decision.
Deepa's lawyers will be filing a contempt of court application against Izwan, formerly known as N Viran, tomorrow.
Malaysiakini was earlier notified about the incident by Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) advocacy officer Sally Wangsawijaya, who has been helping Deepa in her fight for the custody of her children.
In her police report, Deepa said her former husband took their son away in a green Mitsubishi Pajero.
She also stated that when she attempted to stop him, her clothes got caught in the car door and she was dragged on the road as the vehicle was driven off.
PM wants MIC ministers, deputies to deliver
The Prime Minister wants them to submit detailed reports on their "portfolios" regularly.
PETALING JAYA: MIC’s two ministers and two deputy ministers are now requested to submit detailed reports of the “portfolios” set aside for them specifically on a regular basis to the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
Najib, who is also the Barisan Nasional chief, wants the ministers and deputy ministers in the party to ensure the Malaysian Indian community is not sidelined in aids and assistance.
“The PM also wants them to submit reports of what they have done and what needs to be done for the community. They have been asked to submit reports every three months when the cabinet committee for Indian Affairs meets,” said a source.
On his part, said the source, Najib has divided areas which should be focused by the MIC leaders.
MIC, the largest Indian based political party in the country, has two ministers and equal number of deputy ministers. Party president G Palanivel and his deputy Dr S Subramaniam are Natural Resources and Environment, and Health Ministers respectively.
Party vice president M Saravanan is Youth and Sports deputy minister while MIC central working committee member P Kamalanathan is deputy Education minister.
After the 13th general election last year, Najib appointed Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy to the cabinet as a deputy minister to look into the Indian affairs. Waythamoorthy however resigned earlier this year saying that Najib did not have the political will to walk the talk when it came to Indian matters.
The ball was back on MIC’s court and the party leaders were once again entrusted to look into matters pertaining to the two million strong Malaysian Indian community.
The four leaders were given specific portfolios to help the Indian community by the Prime Minister more than a month ago, when the cabinet committee met for the first time since the general election.
Palanivel is entrusted to look into woes faced by temples, construction of multi-purpose halls, crematoriums, MIC seat allocations and small and medium industries. Dr Subramaniam on the other hand will handle health matters, identification papers for Indian without MyKads or birth certificates, promotion of Indian in the civil sector and estate workers.
Saravanan is in charge of youth empowerment and skills training and agriculture including poultry while Kamalanathan will look at education.
The move by Najib to designate portfolios to these leaders is to ensure that they do their part for the community apart from serving as ministers and deputy ministers.
“Since Waythamoorthy resigned, the burden has come back to the MIC. The PM wants them to produce. It is not enough to just say we have the support of the Indian community. The MIC must show that they do indeed have the support through programmes which are beneficial to the community.
“So far only one of them have started working on the ground, which is good. But what about the other three. It is hoped that they will pull up their socks and get to work for the betterment of the community,” said the source, who declined to name the leader who has hit the ground.
The source also said that Najib was concerned if allocations for the community had indeed reached its intended target.
“Four of them were shocked at the last meeting when the Prime Minister brought up more than 20 unresolved issues. It showed that Najib had done his homework. MIC leaders then agreed to the tasks allocated to them.
“They now cannot come back and complain. They have to do their job first and show results,” he added.
Najib, who is also the Barisan Nasional chief, wants the ministers and deputy ministers in the party to ensure the Malaysian Indian community is not sidelined in aids and assistance.
“The PM also wants them to submit reports of what they have done and what needs to be done for the community. They have been asked to submit reports every three months when the cabinet committee for Indian Affairs meets,” said a source.
On his part, said the source, Najib has divided areas which should be focused by the MIC leaders.
MIC, the largest Indian based political party in the country, has two ministers and equal number of deputy ministers. Party president G Palanivel and his deputy Dr S Subramaniam are Natural Resources and Environment, and Health Ministers respectively.
Party vice president M Saravanan is Youth and Sports deputy minister while MIC central working committee member P Kamalanathan is deputy Education minister.
After the 13th general election last year, Najib appointed Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy to the cabinet as a deputy minister to look into the Indian affairs. Waythamoorthy however resigned earlier this year saying that Najib did not have the political will to walk the talk when it came to Indian matters.
The ball was back on MIC’s court and the party leaders were once again entrusted to look into matters pertaining to the two million strong Malaysian Indian community.
The four leaders were given specific portfolios to help the Indian community by the Prime Minister more than a month ago, when the cabinet committee met for the first time since the general election.
Palanivel is entrusted to look into woes faced by temples, construction of multi-purpose halls, crematoriums, MIC seat allocations and small and medium industries. Dr Subramaniam on the other hand will handle health matters, identification papers for Indian without MyKads or birth certificates, promotion of Indian in the civil sector and estate workers.
Saravanan is in charge of youth empowerment and skills training and agriculture including poultry while Kamalanathan will look at education.
The move by Najib to designate portfolios to these leaders is to ensure that they do their part for the community apart from serving as ministers and deputy ministers.
“Since Waythamoorthy resigned, the burden has come back to the MIC. The PM wants them to produce. It is not enough to just say we have the support of the Indian community. The MIC must show that they do indeed have the support through programmes which are beneficial to the community.
“So far only one of them have started working on the ground, which is good. But what about the other three. It is hoped that they will pull up their socks and get to work for the betterment of the community,” said the source, who declined to name the leader who has hit the ground.
The source also said that Najib was concerned if allocations for the community had indeed reached its intended target.
“Four of them were shocked at the last meeting when the Prime Minister brought up more than 20 unresolved issues. It showed that Najib had done his homework. MIC leaders then agreed to the tasks allocated to them.
“They now cannot come back and complain. They have to do their job first and show results,” he added.
Orang Hindu perlu bertaubat?
Dari Ezry Fahmy Bin Eddy Yusof, melalui e-mel
Jika Hinduisme “abang sulung” kepada Islam, apakah “si abang” perlu bertaubat?
Mungkin ramai yang teruja dengan buku “Hinduisme: Agama Tauhid Terawal?” (2014) karya Kamaludin Endol seperti mana ulasan Uthaya Sankar SB bertajuk “Hinduisme, ‘abang sulung’ kepada Islam?” (FMT, 1 Mac 2014).
Ulasan persamaan dan perbezaan ajaran Hindu dan agama Islam bukanlah suatu subjek yang baru bagi para pelajar yang biasa dalam ilmu perbandingan agama. Hal ini telahpun diulas oleh tokoh-tokoh perbandingan agama seperti Allahyarham Sheikh Ahmad Deedat, Dr Zakir Naik dan sebagainya serta boleh dibaca dan dilayari secara meluas di alam maya.
Saya bersetuju dengan pujian Uthaya bahawa “Kehebatan Kamaludin ternyata bukan hanya sebagai pengarang kreatif dan buku ‘Hinduisme: Agama Tauhid Terawal?’ menjadi bukti pemikiran kritis beliau dalam meneroka pelbagai sisi yang selalunya jarang berani dijelajah penulis tempatan; khususnya penulis Melayu.”
Namun, saya kurang bersetuju dengan ulasan Uthaya bahawa setiap hujah atau pandangan yang dikemukakan penulis adalah berdasarkan fakta dan maklumat daripada pelbagai sumber yang sahih. Hal ini adalah kerana penulis tidak peka terhadap penggunaan Hadis sehingga mencampur-adukkan ulasan dengan menggunakan Hadis lemah; bahkan Hadis bertaraf palsu dalam cubaan berhujah.
Buku kajian separa akademik ini juga diakui oleh penulis sebagai hanya merujuk kepada rujukan sekunder dalam bahasa Inggeris dan hanya banyak merujuk pada kitab “Ihya Ulumuddin” oleh al-Imam al-Ghazali rahimahullah sebagai rujukan tunggal dalam mengulas hampir semua aspek hipotesis yang dibawa.
Rujukan tunggal terhadap kitab Ihya dalam hampir semua aspek ulasan mengingatkan saya terhadap komentar Imam Ath-Thurthusi (520H) terhadap kitab Ihya dalam suratnya kepada Abdullah bin Al Muzhaffar:
“Sebahagian besar orang yang mencintai kitab ini dengan kecintaan yang berlebih-lebihan adalah orang-orang soleh (ahli ibadah) yang tidak memiliki pengetahuan tentang kewajiban-kewajibannya terhadap akal dan dasar-dasar agama, tidak memahami (konsep-konsep) ketuhanan dan tidak mengetahui hakikat sifat-sifat (Allah).”
Seperti mana kepercayaan bahawa ajaran agama asal yang dibawakan oleh Nabi Isa AS (Jesus) disalah tafsir dalam agama Kristian, kandungan buku ini juga menghidangkan hipotesis bahawa Hinduism asalnya merupakan agama tauhid terawal berdasarkan jumlah Rasul pilihan dan Nabi lantikan.
Disertakan juga kenyataan bahawa setiap Nabi dan Rasul telah diberikan dan dikurniakan al-Kitab dan Suhuf. Hanya sahaja ajaran Tauhid dalam ajaran asal Hinduisme telah diseleweng sehingga menyebabkan ajaran Tauhid sebenar telah disalahtafsir oleh para penganut ajaran Hindu.
Pemikiran penulis bercanggah akidah
Antara hipotesis penulis, jika boleh diringkaskan berdasarkan 5 perkara berikut:
1 Hinduisme ialah agama tertua yang dianggarkan melebihi 4000SM.
2 Nabi Adam AS diturunkan di bumi India dan berada di sana selama 100 tahun sebelum mengharungi Lautan Hindi dalam pencarian cinta terhadap isterinya, Siti Hawa.
3 Istilah Hindu difahami sebagai Sanatara-Dharma – “agama yang abadi” atau “agama yang tiada permulaan dan tiada kesudahan”.
4 ‘Sruti’ bagaikan menyamai tradisi penurunan wahyu sementara ‘smirti’ menghampiri tradisi Hadis dan Sunnah Rasul.
5 Hinduisme juga agama yang diturunkan dari langit dan bukannya agama budaya.
Dalam pada mencari unsur Tauhid dalam ajaran Hindu, saya berpandangan bahawa penulis dalam tulisannya turut mempromosi pemikiran tasawuf ahli al-Tajalli wal-Zahir wal-Hadarat atau lebih dikenali sebagai Wahdatul Wujud dengan meluas dalam buku ini.
Pertentangan pemikiran ini dengan ahli zahir syarak memang tidak asing lagi kerana pemikiran jenis tasawuf yang kabur ini sukar difahami dan tiada asal dan dalil syarak yang jelas.
Seorang Muslim wajib beriman/beriktikad bahawa hanya agama Islam yang diterima di sisi Allah. Islam itu agama yang diajarkan Nabi Muhammad SAW dan para nabi sebelum baginda. Firman Allah SWT yang bermaksud:
“Dan sesiapa yang mencari selain Islam sebagai agamanya, maka sama sekali tidak diterima daripadanya dan dia di akhirat nanti termasuk dalam kalangan mereka yang rugi.” (Surah Ali-‘Imran, ayat 85).
Namun, sayang kerana tiada satu pun petikan ayat Quran ini diguna pakai dan/atau diulas dalam mengingatkan para pembaca akan kepentingannya.
Islam mengiktiraf kewujudan agama lain dan hak mereka untuk berpegang dengan apa yang para penganut agama lain yakini. Firman Allah SWT yang bermaksud:
“Tiada paksaan dalam agama (Islam), kerana sesungguhnya telah nyata kebenaran (Islam) dari kesesatan (kufur).” (Surah al-Baqarah ayat 256).
Barangkali jika buku ini diteliti pegawai Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) dan Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), bukan isu unsur Tauhid dalam ajaran Hindu yang bermasalah, tetapi unsur pemikiran tasawuf Wahdatul Wujud yang jelas bercanggah dengan akidah Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah yang perlu ditelusuri.
Buku ini dipromosi dan dijual kepada umum, maka saya beranggapan kesilapan yang tersebar secara umum mesti juga diperbetulkan dengan sebaran umum juga (menerusi surat ini) supaya masyarakat khususnya para pembaca boleh menilai perkara yang betul dan salah dengan lebih tepat.
Jika Hinduisme “abang sulung” kepada Islam, apakah “si abang” perlu bertaubat?
Mungkin ramai yang teruja dengan buku “Hinduisme: Agama Tauhid Terawal?” (2014) karya Kamaludin Endol seperti mana ulasan Uthaya Sankar SB bertajuk “Hinduisme, ‘abang sulung’ kepada Islam?” (FMT, 1 Mac 2014).
Ulasan persamaan dan perbezaan ajaran Hindu dan agama Islam bukanlah suatu subjek yang baru bagi para pelajar yang biasa dalam ilmu perbandingan agama. Hal ini telahpun diulas oleh tokoh-tokoh perbandingan agama seperti Allahyarham Sheikh Ahmad Deedat, Dr Zakir Naik dan sebagainya serta boleh dibaca dan dilayari secara meluas di alam maya.
Saya bersetuju dengan pujian Uthaya bahawa “Kehebatan Kamaludin ternyata bukan hanya sebagai pengarang kreatif dan buku ‘Hinduisme: Agama Tauhid Terawal?’ menjadi bukti pemikiran kritis beliau dalam meneroka pelbagai sisi yang selalunya jarang berani dijelajah penulis tempatan; khususnya penulis Melayu.”
Namun, saya kurang bersetuju dengan ulasan Uthaya bahawa setiap hujah atau pandangan yang dikemukakan penulis adalah berdasarkan fakta dan maklumat daripada pelbagai sumber yang sahih. Hal ini adalah kerana penulis tidak peka terhadap penggunaan Hadis sehingga mencampur-adukkan ulasan dengan menggunakan Hadis lemah; bahkan Hadis bertaraf palsu dalam cubaan berhujah.
Buku kajian separa akademik ini juga diakui oleh penulis sebagai hanya merujuk kepada rujukan sekunder dalam bahasa Inggeris dan hanya banyak merujuk pada kitab “Ihya Ulumuddin” oleh al-Imam al-Ghazali rahimahullah sebagai rujukan tunggal dalam mengulas hampir semua aspek hipotesis yang dibawa.
Rujukan tunggal terhadap kitab Ihya dalam hampir semua aspek ulasan mengingatkan saya terhadap komentar Imam Ath-Thurthusi (520H) terhadap kitab Ihya dalam suratnya kepada Abdullah bin Al Muzhaffar:
“Sebahagian besar orang yang mencintai kitab ini dengan kecintaan yang berlebih-lebihan adalah orang-orang soleh (ahli ibadah) yang tidak memiliki pengetahuan tentang kewajiban-kewajibannya terhadap akal dan dasar-dasar agama, tidak memahami (konsep-konsep) ketuhanan dan tidak mengetahui hakikat sifat-sifat (Allah).”
Seperti mana kepercayaan bahawa ajaran agama asal yang dibawakan oleh Nabi Isa AS (Jesus) disalah tafsir dalam agama Kristian, kandungan buku ini juga menghidangkan hipotesis bahawa Hinduism asalnya merupakan agama tauhid terawal berdasarkan jumlah Rasul pilihan dan Nabi lantikan.
Disertakan juga kenyataan bahawa setiap Nabi dan Rasul telah diberikan dan dikurniakan al-Kitab dan Suhuf. Hanya sahaja ajaran Tauhid dalam ajaran asal Hinduisme telah diseleweng sehingga menyebabkan ajaran Tauhid sebenar telah disalahtafsir oleh para penganut ajaran Hindu.
Pemikiran penulis bercanggah akidah
Antara hipotesis penulis, jika boleh diringkaskan berdasarkan 5 perkara berikut:
1 Hinduisme ialah agama tertua yang dianggarkan melebihi 4000SM.
2 Nabi Adam AS diturunkan di bumi India dan berada di sana selama 100 tahun sebelum mengharungi Lautan Hindi dalam pencarian cinta terhadap isterinya, Siti Hawa.
3 Istilah Hindu difahami sebagai Sanatara-Dharma – “agama yang abadi” atau “agama yang tiada permulaan dan tiada kesudahan”.
4 ‘Sruti’ bagaikan menyamai tradisi penurunan wahyu sementara ‘smirti’ menghampiri tradisi Hadis dan Sunnah Rasul.
5 Hinduisme juga agama yang diturunkan dari langit dan bukannya agama budaya.
Dalam pada mencari unsur Tauhid dalam ajaran Hindu, saya berpandangan bahawa penulis dalam tulisannya turut mempromosi pemikiran tasawuf ahli al-Tajalli wal-Zahir wal-Hadarat atau lebih dikenali sebagai Wahdatul Wujud dengan meluas dalam buku ini.
Pertentangan pemikiran ini dengan ahli zahir syarak memang tidak asing lagi kerana pemikiran jenis tasawuf yang kabur ini sukar difahami dan tiada asal dan dalil syarak yang jelas.
Seorang Muslim wajib beriman/beriktikad bahawa hanya agama Islam yang diterima di sisi Allah. Islam itu agama yang diajarkan Nabi Muhammad SAW dan para nabi sebelum baginda. Firman Allah SWT yang bermaksud:
“Dan sesiapa yang mencari selain Islam sebagai agamanya, maka sama sekali tidak diterima daripadanya dan dia di akhirat nanti termasuk dalam kalangan mereka yang rugi.” (Surah Ali-‘Imran, ayat 85).
Namun, sayang kerana tiada satu pun petikan ayat Quran ini diguna pakai dan/atau diulas dalam mengingatkan para pembaca akan kepentingannya.
Islam mengiktiraf kewujudan agama lain dan hak mereka untuk berpegang dengan apa yang para penganut agama lain yakini. Firman Allah SWT yang bermaksud:
“Tiada paksaan dalam agama (Islam), kerana sesungguhnya telah nyata kebenaran (Islam) dari kesesatan (kufur).” (Surah al-Baqarah ayat 256).
Barangkali jika buku ini diteliti pegawai Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) dan Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), bukan isu unsur Tauhid dalam ajaran Hindu yang bermasalah, tetapi unsur pemikiran tasawuf Wahdatul Wujud yang jelas bercanggah dengan akidah Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah yang perlu ditelusuri.
Buku ini dipromosi dan dijual kepada umum, maka saya beranggapan kesilapan yang tersebar secara umum mesti juga diperbetulkan dengan sebaran umum juga (menerusi surat ini) supaya masyarakat khususnya para pembaca boleh menilai perkara yang betul dan salah dengan lebih tepat.
‘Bandar seks’: Guan Eng kena jawab
Ketua Pembangkang Pulau Pinang, Datuk Jahara Abdul Hamid berkata, semua pihak terutama rakyat negeri ini mahu Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng tampil memberi penjelasan mengenai perkara itu berikutan laporan itu memberi imej buruk kepada Pulau Pinang.
“Umno mahu Guan Eng beri penjelasan mengenai perkara itu dan jika beliau enggan berbuat demikian, kami akan bangkitkan pada sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri yang akan bersidang bulan depan.
“Laporan itu bukan sahaja memberi imej buruk malah menunjukkan pihak berkuasa tempatan tidak buat kerja mereka kerana saya difahamkan 200 premis yang menawarkan perkhidmatan berkenaan mempunyai lesen dan bagaimana perkara itu boleh terjadi,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Program Kembara Kebajikan 1Malaysia Family Care (IMFC), di Dewan Sungai Dua, di sini hari ini.
Jahara yang juga Pengerusi Majlis Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat (MPWKM) mengulas dakwaan Jaringan Utara Migran dan Pelarian (Jump) itu.
Laporan kajian itu berdasarkan temu bual membabitkan 172 pemandu teksi di negeri ini yang mendakwa pernah membawa penumpang ke kawasan panas berkenaan sekurang-kurangnya sekali.
RM300 million ESSCOM should not be a costly “April Fool’s joke” for Sabahans and Malaysians
ESSCOM (Eastern Sabah Security Command) has become a costly “April Fool’s joke” for Sabahans and Malaysians.
It celebrated its first anniversary on April 1, boasting about its success as “guardian” of security of Sabahans, and I quote from a Bernama write-up:
“ESSCOM Celebrates Its First Anniversary with Confidence.
“Come Tuesday (April 1, 2014), after officially starting operations on April 1, 2013, the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) celebrates its first anniversary…
“…Sabahans are increasingly confident with the ESSCOM’s ability in protecting Sabah’s sovereignty and maintaining security at the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE)”
The Director General of ESSCOM Datuk Haji Mohammad Mentek was then quoted as saying:
“ESSCOM has succeeded in stopping the attempts by foreigners to enter Sabah illegally to commit criminal acts like the kidnapping of Taiwanese tourists in Pulau Pom-Pom on 15 Nov 2013″.
However, within 24 hours of the ESSCOM first anniversary celebrations, there was a second abduction of a tourist from China and a hotel employee of Singamata Reef Resort in Semporna on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at about 10.30 pm
As a result, ESSCOM has become a costly “April’s Fool joke”, giving Sabahans a false sense of security although more than RM300 million has been spent on establishing it.
Barisan Nasional MPs have called ESSCOM a “toothless tiger” but it would be more accurate to call it a useless “white elephant” costing over RM300 million with an establishment of over 500 people.
This is especially the case as ESSCOM has said that it is powerless to act in the abduction cases, as it has no authority to command, direct or order any action.
I agree that ESSCOM might as well be abolished if the government is incapable of carrying out a total revamp of ESSCOM to ensure the safety of Sabahans.
I believe needs an organization like ESSCOM to ensure the security of the East Coast of Sabah.
I call on the Cabinet at its next meeting to give top priority for the revamp of ESSCOM so that it would not be a “white elephant” or a “toothless tiger”.
It is no use of the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin ordering ESSCOM to boost its level of preparedness, surveillance and intelligence following the second kidnapping incident in the waters of Sabah without ensuring that ESSCOM can function authoritatively and effectively to ensure the security in the ESSZONE.
Barisan Nasional MPs have said the problem about the ineffectiveness of ESSCOM was because a Sabahan and a civilian had been appointed as its director-general, and who could get the police and military heads to take orders from him.
This should not be the nub of the problem, as the question is not whether a Sabahan or a civilian had been appointed ESSCOM Director-General, but whether he has been vested with the full authority to carry out the powers and duties assigned to ESSCOM.
If this is indeed the problem, then the Cabinet should immediately ensure that the civilian and Sabahan ESSCOM director-general is given full authority and powers to carry out the tasks of ESSCOM, and any person, however high-up in the police and military hierarchy who countermands the directive of the civilian Sabahan ESSCOM director-general or guilty of insubordination should be disciplined immediately and severely.
It celebrated its first anniversary on April 1, boasting about its success as “guardian” of security of Sabahans, and I quote from a Bernama write-up:
“ESSCOM Celebrates Its First Anniversary with Confidence.
“Come Tuesday (April 1, 2014), after officially starting operations on April 1, 2013, the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) celebrates its first anniversary…
“…Sabahans are increasingly confident with the ESSCOM’s ability in protecting Sabah’s sovereignty and maintaining security at the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE)”
The Director General of ESSCOM Datuk Haji Mohammad Mentek was then quoted as saying:
“ESSCOM has succeeded in stopping the attempts by foreigners to enter Sabah illegally to commit criminal acts like the kidnapping of Taiwanese tourists in Pulau Pom-Pom on 15 Nov 2013″.
However, within 24 hours of the ESSCOM first anniversary celebrations, there was a second abduction of a tourist from China and a hotel employee of Singamata Reef Resort in Semporna on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at about 10.30 pm
As a result, ESSCOM has become a costly “April’s Fool joke”, giving Sabahans a false sense of security although more than RM300 million has been spent on establishing it.
Barisan Nasional MPs have called ESSCOM a “toothless tiger” but it would be more accurate to call it a useless “white elephant” costing over RM300 million with an establishment of over 500 people.
This is especially the case as ESSCOM has said that it is powerless to act in the abduction cases, as it has no authority to command, direct or order any action.
I agree that ESSCOM might as well be abolished if the government is incapable of carrying out a total revamp of ESSCOM to ensure the safety of Sabahans.
I believe needs an organization like ESSCOM to ensure the security of the East Coast of Sabah.
I call on the Cabinet at its next meeting to give top priority for the revamp of ESSCOM so that it would not be a “white elephant” or a “toothless tiger”.
It is no use of the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin ordering ESSCOM to boost its level of preparedness, surveillance and intelligence following the second kidnapping incident in the waters of Sabah without ensuring that ESSCOM can function authoritatively and effectively to ensure the security in the ESSZONE.
Barisan Nasional MPs have said the problem about the ineffectiveness of ESSCOM was because a Sabahan and a civilian had been appointed as its director-general, and who could get the police and military heads to take orders from him.
This should not be the nub of the problem, as the question is not whether a Sabahan or a civilian had been appointed ESSCOM Director-General, but whether he has been vested with the full authority to carry out the powers and duties assigned to ESSCOM.
If this is indeed the problem, then the Cabinet should immediately ensure that the civilian and Sabahan ESSCOM director-general is given full authority and powers to carry out the tasks of ESSCOM, and any person, however high-up in the police and military hierarchy who countermands the directive of the civilian Sabahan ESSCOM director-general or guilty of insubordination should be disciplined immediately and severely.
Start behaving like world-class universities, Ambiga tells local varsities
The Malaysian Insider
BY ELIZABETH ZACHARIAH
BY ELIZABETH ZACHARIAH
Malaysian
institutions of higher learning should start behaving like world-class
universities, says Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, following Universiti of
Malaya's (UM) refusal to allow the prominent lawyer to speak at its law
convention last week.
Claiming
it was a ridiculous move by the university, the former Bersih co-chair
said UM was setting a bad example by curtailing the rights of students
and clamping down on academic freedom.
"This
has to stop. We cannot have narrow-minded people up there telling us
this. Public institutions of higher learning should start behaving like
world-class universities," she told The Malaysian Insider.
Ambiga,
who is the former Bar Council president, was scheduled to speak at the
Law Faculty’s Law Career Convention on Public Interest Litigation on
March 29.
A
student representative said an official letter was sent to the
university's deputy vice-chancellor of Student Affairs to seek
permission for Ambiga to deliver the lecture on March 25.
The
university had initially agreed on condition that there should also be a
pro-establishment speaker at the convention to make it more balanced.
However,
the approval was retracted with the excuse that Ambiga's lecture was
not part of the programme, which was organised by the UM Law Society.
A
group of UM students handed a memorandum to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs
yesterday to protest the university's decision and its attempt to
violate their rights.
Student
group Progressive University Malaya president Richtyne Yusuf said the
university seemed to be practising double standards when it came to
speakers allowed to deliver lectures.
“When
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was invited to give a lecture, there were no
issue. But when Ambiga was invited, the seminar was cancelled. This
seems unfair,” he said.
Ambiga
praised the students who stood up against the university's move, noting
that it shows that there is still "hope in the country".
"I
was pleasantly surprised that the students are not letting this go. I
feel encouraged by what they are doing now, that they will not let their
right to academic freedom be taken away.
"I am happy that they realise the world is at their feet," said the lawyer.
Ambiga
said she has not faced such a situation before but was told that
students were afraid of inviting her for fear of getting into trouble
with university officials.
"I
learnt that previously, students had wanted to invite me to speak but
backed down because they knew they will run into trouble with the
university.
"This shows that they are practising self-censorship and this is wrong," she said.
Meanwhile,
Association for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham) chairman, Datuk
Kuthubul Zaman, also took a swipe at UM, saying the university should
have considered Ambiga's vast experience as a top lawyer than her
"presumed political inclination".
"Proham
calls on the university to reconsider their decision and to allow Datuk
Ambiga Sreenevasan to address the law students on Public Interest
Litigation. It is a clear violation of the students’ rights and a
contravention of a universal human right to freedom of speech and
expression.
"Ambiga
herself had personally appeared as counsel in the High Court, Court of
Appeal and the Federal Court on issues concerning public interest. Her
valuable experience is an asset for her to share with the law students.
In the circumstances, the decision by the university in refusing her to
address the law students is puzzling," he added in a statement.
The
Malaysian Insider sent emails and made telephone calls to the offices
of the university vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin
and the Dean of the Law Faculty, Associate Professor Dr Johan
Shamsuddin Sabaruddin, but they have not responded at press time. –
April 9, 2014.
Malaysia Wants To Be Educational Destination Of Choice For West Asia
DUBAI, April 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to be a higher educational destination of choice for West Asian students, including that of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by raising its profile through participation in top educational exhibitions and government-to-government cooperation.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the UAE wished to foster cooperation with Malaysia in the field of education.
He said the wish was expressed by UAE Education Minister Mohammed Al Qatami and Culture, Youth and Community Development Minister Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan whom he received Wednesday during working visit to Dubai.
The UAE ministers later accompanied Muhyiddin to visit the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre where he opened the Education Malaysia pavilion.
"The UAE leaders greatly appreciated our cooperation and wanted us to broaden the scope of educational areas offered.
"I told them that is what we want to do and they were glad that we want to expand various fields," he told Malaysian journalists covering his five-day working visit here since Monday.
Muhyiddin said the UAE felt that Malaysia's participation in Getex 2014 as one of the biggest exhibitor reflected close ties between the two countries in the field of education.
The Education Malaysia pavilion boasts the participation of 27 public and private institutions of higher learning, including University of Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Sunway University, and SEGi University College.
Muhyiddin said participation in high-profile education fairs like Getex and close ties with UAE leaders could help promote Malaysia as a higher education hub for West Asian students.
It will also help entice UAE's participation in educational programmes in Malaysia and foreign institutions collaboration in specific fields such as science and technology, he added.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said about 160 UAE students were currently studying in Malaysia in various fields, including engineering, science and technology, and he hoped the number could increase in future.
"While promising more UAE students would pursue higher studies in Malaysia, the UAE leaders also want our students to study in the UAE. That's why we want to forge a long-term partnership," he said.
Among fields of educational cooperation that could be pursued by Malaysia and the UAE are science, technology, oil and gas, and language, he said, adding that one of Malaysia's pull factors was competitive cost. Muhyiddin said Malaysia, which had participated in Getex since 2004, would continue to take part in the education fair in an effort to woo more students from West Asia. Between 25,000 and 27,000 students from West Asia are currently studying in Malaysia.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the UAE wished to foster cooperation with Malaysia in the field of education.
He said the wish was expressed by UAE Education Minister Mohammed Al Qatami and Culture, Youth and Community Development Minister Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan whom he received Wednesday during working visit to Dubai.
The UAE ministers later accompanied Muhyiddin to visit the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre where he opened the Education Malaysia pavilion.
"The UAE leaders greatly appreciated our cooperation and wanted us to broaden the scope of educational areas offered.
"I told them that is what we want to do and they were glad that we want to expand various fields," he told Malaysian journalists covering his five-day working visit here since Monday.
Muhyiddin said the UAE felt that Malaysia's participation in Getex 2014 as one of the biggest exhibitor reflected close ties between the two countries in the field of education.
The Education Malaysia pavilion boasts the participation of 27 public and private institutions of higher learning, including University of Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Sunway University, and SEGi University College.
Muhyiddin said participation in high-profile education fairs like Getex and close ties with UAE leaders could help promote Malaysia as a higher education hub for West Asian students.
It will also help entice UAE's participation in educational programmes in Malaysia and foreign institutions collaboration in specific fields such as science and technology, he added.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said about 160 UAE students were currently studying in Malaysia in various fields, including engineering, science and technology, and he hoped the number could increase in future.
"While promising more UAE students would pursue higher studies in Malaysia, the UAE leaders also want our students to study in the UAE. That's why we want to forge a long-term partnership," he said.
Among fields of educational cooperation that could be pursued by Malaysia and the UAE are science, technology, oil and gas, and language, he said, adding that one of Malaysia's pull factors was competitive cost. Muhyiddin said Malaysia, which had participated in Getex since 2004, would continue to take part in the education fair in an effort to woo more students from West Asia. Between 25,000 and 27,000 students from West Asia are currently studying in Malaysia.
Malaysia Wants To Be Educational Destination Of Choice For West Asia
DUBAI, April 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to be a higher educational destination of choice for West Asian students, including that of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by raising its profile through participation in top educational exhibitions and government-to-government cooperation.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the UAE wished to foster cooperation with Malaysia in the field of education.
He said the wish was expressed by UAE Education Minister Mohammed Al Qatami and Culture, Youth and Community Development Minister Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan whom he received Wednesday during working visit to Dubai.
The UAE ministers later accompanied Muhyiddin to visit the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre where he opened the Education Malaysia pavilion.
"The UAE leaders greatly appreciated our cooperation and wanted us to broaden the scope of educational areas offered.
"I told them that is what we want to do and they were glad that we want to expand various fields," he told Malaysian journalists covering his five-day working visit here since Monday.
Muhyiddin said the UAE felt that Malaysia's participation in Getex 2014 as one of the biggest exhibitor reflected close ties between the two countries in the field of education.
The Education Malaysia pavilion boasts the participation of 27 public and private institutions of higher learning, including University of Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Sunway University, and SEGi University College.
Muhyiddin said participation in high-profile education fairs like Getex and close ties with UAE leaders could help promote Malaysia as a higher education hub for West Asian students.
It will also help entice UAE's participation in educational programmes in Malaysia and foreign institutions collaboration in specific fields such as science and technology, he added.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said about 160 UAE students were currently studying in Malaysia in various fields, including engineering, science and technology, and he hoped the number could increase in future.
"While promising more UAE students would pursue higher studies in Malaysia, the UAE leaders also want our students to study in the UAE. That's why we want to forge a long-term partnership," he said.
Among fields of educational cooperation that could be pursued by Malaysia and the UAE are science, technology, oil and gas, and language, he said, adding that one of Malaysia's pull factors was competitive cost. Muhyiddin said Malaysia, which had participated in Getex since 2004, would continue to take part in the education fair in an effort to woo more students from West Asia. Between 25,000 and 27,000 students from West Asia are currently studying in Malaysia.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the UAE wished to foster cooperation with Malaysia in the field of education.
He said the wish was expressed by UAE Education Minister Mohammed Al Qatami and Culture, Youth and Community Development Minister Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan whom he received Wednesday during working visit to Dubai.
The UAE ministers later accompanied Muhyiddin to visit the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre where he opened the Education Malaysia pavilion.
"The UAE leaders greatly appreciated our cooperation and wanted us to broaden the scope of educational areas offered.
"I told them that is what we want to do and they were glad that we want to expand various fields," he told Malaysian journalists covering his five-day working visit here since Monday.
Muhyiddin said the UAE felt that Malaysia's participation in Getex 2014 as one of the biggest exhibitor reflected close ties between the two countries in the field of education.
The Education Malaysia pavilion boasts the participation of 27 public and private institutions of higher learning, including University of Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Sunway University, and SEGi University College.
Muhyiddin said participation in high-profile education fairs like Getex and close ties with UAE leaders could help promote Malaysia as a higher education hub for West Asian students.
It will also help entice UAE's participation in educational programmes in Malaysia and foreign institutions collaboration in specific fields such as science and technology, he added.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said about 160 UAE students were currently studying in Malaysia in various fields, including engineering, science and technology, and he hoped the number could increase in future.
"While promising more UAE students would pursue higher studies in Malaysia, the UAE leaders also want our students to study in the UAE. That's why we want to forge a long-term partnership," he said.
Among fields of educational cooperation that could be pursued by Malaysia and the UAE are science, technology, oil and gas, and language, he said, adding that one of Malaysia's pull factors was competitive cost. Muhyiddin said Malaysia, which had participated in Getex since 2004, would continue to take part in the education fair in an effort to woo more students from West Asia. Between 25,000 and 27,000 students from West Asia are currently studying in Malaysia.
Malaysia Wants To Be Educational Destination Of Choice For West Asia
DUBAI, April 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to be a higher educational destination of choice for West Asian students, including that of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by raising its profile through participation in top educational exhibitions and government-to-government cooperation.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the UAE wished to foster cooperation with Malaysia in the field of education.
He said the wish was expressed by UAE Education Minister Mohammed Al Qatami and Culture, Youth and Community Development Minister Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan whom he received Wednesday during working visit to Dubai.
The UAE ministers later accompanied Muhyiddin to visit the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre where he opened the Education Malaysia pavilion.
"The UAE leaders greatly appreciated our cooperation and wanted us to broaden the scope of educational areas offered.
"I told them that is what we want to do and they were glad that we want to expand various fields," he told Malaysian journalists covering his five-day working visit here since Monday.
Muhyiddin said the UAE felt that Malaysia's participation in Getex 2014 as one of the biggest exhibitor reflected close ties between the two countries in the field of education.
The Education Malaysia pavilion boasts the participation of 27 public and private institutions of higher learning, including University of Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Sunway University, and SEGi University College.
Muhyiddin said participation in high-profile education fairs like Getex and close ties with UAE leaders could help promote Malaysia as a higher education hub for West Asian students.
It will also help entice UAE's participation in educational programmes in Malaysia and foreign institutions collaboration in specific fields such as science and technology, he added.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said about 160 UAE students were currently studying in Malaysia in various fields, including engineering, science and technology, and he hoped the number could increase in future.
"While promising more UAE students would pursue higher studies in Malaysia, the UAE leaders also want our students to study in the UAE. That's why we want to forge a long-term partnership," he said.
Among fields of educational cooperation that could be pursued by Malaysia and the UAE are science, technology, oil and gas, and language, he said, adding that one of Malaysia's pull factors was competitive cost. Muhyiddin said Malaysia, which had participated in Getex since 2004, would continue to take part in the education fair in an effort to woo more students from West Asia. Between 25,000 and 27,000 students from West Asia are currently studying in Malaysia.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the UAE wished to foster cooperation with Malaysia in the field of education.
He said the wish was expressed by UAE Education Minister Mohammed Al Qatami and Culture, Youth and Community Development Minister Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan whom he received Wednesday during working visit to Dubai.
The UAE ministers later accompanied Muhyiddin to visit the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre where he opened the Education Malaysia pavilion.
"The UAE leaders greatly appreciated our cooperation and wanted us to broaden the scope of educational areas offered.
"I told them that is what we want to do and they were glad that we want to expand various fields," he told Malaysian journalists covering his five-day working visit here since Monday.
Muhyiddin said the UAE felt that Malaysia's participation in Getex 2014 as one of the biggest exhibitor reflected close ties between the two countries in the field of education.
The Education Malaysia pavilion boasts the participation of 27 public and private institutions of higher learning, including University of Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Sunway University, and SEGi University College.
Muhyiddin said participation in high-profile education fairs like Getex and close ties with UAE leaders could help promote Malaysia as a higher education hub for West Asian students.
It will also help entice UAE's participation in educational programmes in Malaysia and foreign institutions collaboration in specific fields such as science and technology, he added.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said about 160 UAE students were currently studying in Malaysia in various fields, including engineering, science and technology, and he hoped the number could increase in future.
"While promising more UAE students would pursue higher studies in Malaysia, the UAE leaders also want our students to study in the UAE. That's why we want to forge a long-term partnership," he said.
Among fields of educational cooperation that could be pursued by Malaysia and the UAE are science, technology, oil and gas, and language, he said, adding that one of Malaysia's pull factors was competitive cost. Muhyiddin said Malaysia, which had participated in Getex since 2004, would continue to take part in the education fair in an effort to woo more students from West Asia. Between 25,000 and 27,000 students from West Asia are currently studying in Malaysia.
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