Sunday, 5 October 2014
How former U.S. Army Ranger threatened with beheading fought in Iraq and then converted to Islam and returned to Middle East to run Syrian aid group
- Peter Kassig appears in latest ISIS video showing British aid worker's death
- In footage, 26-year-old is shown on his knees as he is held by 'Jihadi John'
- Video released tonight claims to show beheading of hostage Alan Henning
- 'Jihadi John' tells camera that President Obama's aerial bombardment in Syria means that 'it is only right to continue to strike necks of your people'
- Mr Kassig enlisted in the Army in 2006 and served in the Iraq war in 2007
- He then went to provide aid to Syrian war refugees and his family said that while in captivity he converted to Islam and took the name Abdul Rahman
An Iraq war veteran who launched his own aid group to provide medical help for Syrian war refugees has been named as the next potential victim of ISIS.
Former U.S. Army Ranger Peter Kassig, 26, has been confirmed as the latest American hostage to be held by Islamic State militants after he featured at the end of a video showing the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning.
In the footage, which emerged on the internet tonight, Mr Kassig, from Indianapolis, is shown on his knees next to 'Jihadi John'.
The young aid worker is being held by the Jihadi who tells the camera that President Obama's aerial bombardment in Syria means that 'it is only right to continue to strike the necks of your people.'
While Mr Kassig can be seen on his knees, a caption on the screen reads, 'Peter Edward Kassig (American).'
In a direct address to President Barack Obama, 'Jihadi John' then tells the camera: 'Obama you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham (Syria) which keeps on striking our people, so it's only right we continue to strike the necks of your people.'
U.S. officials confirmed this evening that Kassig was being held by Islamic State militants but declined to give any more details of his capture.
President Obama's counterterrorism adviser, Lisa Monaco, said the US had seen the video and was evaluating it.
'This is again yet another just very clear example of the brutality of this group, and why the president has articulated and is moving out in a comprehensive way to degrade and destroy ISIL,' she said, using an acronym for the group.
'Our hearts go out to the British aid worker who we believe is in that video, and to the remaining hostages and to their families.'
Tonight, Mr Kassig's parents Ed and Paula released a statement in the wake of the video asking people to pray for their son.
They confirmed he was captured on October 1 last year on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria but said the family had kept silent about his abduction 'at the wish of those who have held their son'.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2780102/The-former-U-S-Iraq-war-veteran-feared-ISIS-victim-Peter-Kassig-threatened-beheading-Alan-Henning-video-seized-running-Syria-aid-group.html
British citizen Alan Henning beheaded by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria (WARNING: Graphic)
ABC A video has surfaced online that appears to show the beheading of British captive Alan Henningby a purported member of the terror group ISIS, who then threatens the life of an American hostage.
“I am Alan Henning. Because of our Parliament’s decision to attack the Islamic State [ISIS], I, as a member of the British public, will now pay the price for that decision,” Henning says in the video, before his apparent executioner speaks.
“The blood of [fellow slain captive] David Haines was on your hands, [British Prime Minister David] Cameron,” the black clad militant says. “Alan Henning will also be slaughtered but his blood is on the hands of the British Parliament.”
Henning then appears to be killed. A quick edit follows and the executioner, apparently the same one as in the other videos, speaks. “The blood of David Haines was on your hand, Cameron. Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of British parliament.” The executioner then begins to saw at Henning’s neck as the video fades to black. The next image shows Henning’s dead body, with his severed head resting on his torso.
You can see the actual video HERE
Near the end of the video another hostage is seen alive, identified as an American, as the militant says it’s right that his group targets Americans as the U.S. continues its aerial bombardment of ISIS targets.
“Obama, you have started your Arab bombardment… It’s only right that we continue to strike the next of your people,” the executioner says at the video’s end as a man, identified in the video as Peter Edward Kassig, an American, sits on his knees.
This is the kind of bleeding heart leftist stupidity that gets you beheaded.
Cops digging on Teoh's 'suicide note' again
Police from Bukit Aman today recorded statements from Teoh's wife Soh Cher Wei and sister Teoh Lee Lan on the matter at the Batu Pahat district police headquarters.
Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching (right),
who accompanied the duo, said police in their line of questioning
attempted to obtain more information about the alleged suicide note."Police asked question like, do they have any of Teoh's handwriting, did he keep a diary, did he write birthday cards and similar questions.
"The family was not happy because all these questions have been answered five years ago," Teo, who is also a lawyer, told Malaysiakini when contacted.
Teoh was called in by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) on July 15, 2009 as a witness but was found dead the next morning after plunging from the 14th to the fifth floor.
MACC at the time disclaimed responsibility for Teoh's death and a suicide note emerged three months later, which only added to the mystery as Teoh was to register his marriage to Soh the day after his untimely death and already had their honeymoon and wedding reception planned.
The coroner's court in 2011 ruled that Teoh was driven to suicide by intensive questioning, but this was overturned by the Court of Appeal on Sept 5, 2014 which ruled out suicide and said MACC was liable for Teoh's death.
'Harass MACC, not us'
Teo said as the court has already ruled out suicide, police should instead pursue the MACC officers responsible for Teoh's death instead of "harassing" Teoh's family on old matters.
"The
so-called suicide note is also suspicious as it was only found three
months after the death nor can it be confirmed (to be authentic)."If the police want to pursue it, they should be finding out who created it," she said.
Teo said the investigators were part of a special unit set up to re-look at Teoh's death following the Court of Appeal decision.
"We asked if they have questioned the MACC officers, but we were informed other investigators may be doing that," said Teo.
A royal commission of inquiry into Teoh's death had labelled the three MACC officers who questioned Teoh, namely Hishammuddin Hashim, Arman Alies and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus "an arrogant leader, a bully and an abuser".
None of the trio has faced any action to date.
Isis 'trampled' on Islam's image, says Anwar
Speaking on the eve of Aidil Adha, he said such efforts were clearly against the principles of Islam and results in tarnishing the faith.
"While we celebrate this important holy day, we continue to be hampered by various agenda that are trampling on the image of Islam in the eyes of the world, for example the issue of Isis that became a hot topic recently.
"Such
goals clearly contradict the principles of Islamic justice, and
actually tarnish the image of Islam under the guise of championing the
Islamic agenda," said Anwar in his Aidil Adha message today.He said this was the result of "failing to understand Islam in a holistic manner".
"This is what was stressed by the late Hasan al-Hudaybi, 'Establish Islam within yourself, and surely it will be strengthened in your motherland'," he said.
The subject of Isis has stirred hornets' nests in Malaysia, with Prime Minister Najib Razak initially mistepping by reportedly praising the movement's strugge, and PAS leaders contradicting one another on their stand on the terrorist movement.
The Prime Minister’s Office subsequently issued a statement claiming that Najib’s speech had been taken out of context.Following this, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has asked Najib to move a motion in the coming October Parliament session to condemn Isis.
Anwar, meanwhile,also spoke on the importance of the holy day and the fundamental philosophy behind the act of sacrifice, that is "sincerity and gratitude".
In his message he also commented on the necessity for justice regardless of race, quoting from the scriptures, "...Don't for a moment let your hatred towards a particular race compel you towards not doing justice."
"In reality, all beings are equal in the eyes of god."
Uthayakumar tells Indians to turn to Pakatan
Having finally regained his freedom
after 485 days behind bars for sedition, many are expecting Hindraf
leader P Uthayakumar to breathe fresh air into the lethargic movement
for marginalised Indians.
But anyone harbouring such hopes may be disappointed.
The
veteran activist, who in 2007 were among key leaders to mobilise some
30,000 to protest discrimination against Indian Malaysians, has told his
community to now set its sight on Pakatan Rakyat.
Having contested as an independent for the Kota Raja parliamentary constituency as part of Hindraf's plan to increase Indian Malaysian representation in GE13 and lost, Uthayakumar acknowledged their strategy was a failure.
"We accept the people's verdict. Like it or not, the overwhelming majority of Indians voted for Pakatan and it is a democratic decision we have to accept," he told Malaysiakini.
After going to jail exactly a month after GE13 for accusing Putrajaya of ethnic cleansing, Uthayakumar said he has given much thought about how the plight of the Indian poor could move forward.
"Every night I thought about it until I had a mental block. There is no other solution besides Pakatan.
"There
is no other option. BN is a forgone conclusion," he said, adding that
even fellow inmates were angry when his brother P Waythamoorthy (left) attempted to ally the Indian Malaysian movement with BN.
He added the majority of Indian Malaysians had voted for Pakatan and therefore, it is only appropriate that they turn to its top three leaders, namely Anwar Ibrahim, Abdul Hadi Awang and Lim Kit Siang.
Uthaya goes to Washington
However, Uthayakumar who said he read extensively about the US civil rights movement during his incarceration, stressed it is the non-Indian leaders in Pakatan who must take up the cause of the Indian poor.
As for himself, Uthayakumar said he will withdraw from the public spotlight for now.
"I will spend a few years in Washington DC to do research and lecture," he said, but added he is still unclear when he will depart.
Asked if this would be the end of Hindraf, Uthayakumar insisted that the movement will never disappear.
However, Uthayakumar said Hindraf's plan had failed during the last general election and he did not want to give any "false hope" this time.
"Now that I have been released, many people are thinking that I can perform magic or that they have some kind of hope. I cannot do that.
"For now, I will watch, see and learn. Put it this way: Sometimes, when we talk to our children, they don't want to listen. So we have to let them go to learn it the hard way. It is their democratic decision.
"If they succeed, I will the the happiest person as I also want to retire. I am feeling tired and exhausted," he said.
'Prison a symbol of Indian marginalisation'
Uthayakumar's move to take a breather may seem like he has been tamed by the cold hard walls of Kajang prison which he admitted was a "nightmare".
But he stressed that his incarceration reinforced his commitment to fight for the plight of the Indian poor.
"When I was released yesterday, the next in line (to be released) was a 39-year-old. His name was Rajagopal. He had gone to prison 29 times; that is how chronic the Indian problem is.
"His father is a Kuala Lumpur City Hall sewerage worker, his mother a sweeper and he has never received any education as the family had many siblings to feed," he said.
He
added that Indians made up almost a third of the total number of prison
inmates despite only comprising eight percent of the country's
population. Uthayakumar is of the opinion that poverty drives them to
commit crime.
Despite the seriousness of the problem, Uthayakumar lamented that Pakatan, which was helped by Indian Malaysians' discontent when it first came into power, had not taken concrete steps to address the issues faced by the Indian poor in states where it ruled.
Having called on Indian Malaysians to turn to the people who they voted for, Uthayakumar only had this to say to Pakatan leaders: "Do not sidestep the Indian poor issues, they are very critical, so please don't sidestep them".
However, he said Hindraf itself will not be taking any sides.
Asked if he will return to Malaysia after his sabbatical to pick up Hindraf's torch again if things do not improve, Uthayakumar merely replied: "I'll take it as it comes."
But anyone harbouring such hopes may be disappointed.
The
veteran activist, who in 2007 were among key leaders to mobilise some
30,000 to protest discrimination against Indian Malaysians, has told his
community to now set its sight on Pakatan Rakyat.Having contested as an independent for the Kota Raja parliamentary constituency as part of Hindraf's plan to increase Indian Malaysian representation in GE13 and lost, Uthayakumar acknowledged their strategy was a failure.
"We accept the people's verdict. Like it or not, the overwhelming majority of Indians voted for Pakatan and it is a democratic decision we have to accept," he told Malaysiakini.
After going to jail exactly a month after GE13 for accusing Putrajaya of ethnic cleansing, Uthayakumar said he has given much thought about how the plight of the Indian poor could move forward.
"Every night I thought about it until I had a mental block. There is no other solution besides Pakatan.
"There
is no other option. BN is a forgone conclusion," he said, adding that
even fellow inmates were angry when his brother P Waythamoorthy (left) attempted to ally the Indian Malaysian movement with BN.He added the majority of Indian Malaysians had voted for Pakatan and therefore, it is only appropriate that they turn to its top three leaders, namely Anwar Ibrahim, Abdul Hadi Awang and Lim Kit Siang.
Uthaya goes to Washington
However, Uthayakumar who said he read extensively about the US civil rights movement during his incarceration, stressed it is the non-Indian leaders in Pakatan who must take up the cause of the Indian poor.
As for himself, Uthayakumar said he will withdraw from the public spotlight for now.
"I will spend a few years in Washington DC to do research and lecture," he said, but added he is still unclear when he will depart.
Asked if this would be the end of Hindraf, Uthayakumar insisted that the movement will never disappear.However, Uthayakumar said Hindraf's plan had failed during the last general election and he did not want to give any "false hope" this time.
"Now that I have been released, many people are thinking that I can perform magic or that they have some kind of hope. I cannot do that.
"For now, I will watch, see and learn. Put it this way: Sometimes, when we talk to our children, they don't want to listen. So we have to let them go to learn it the hard way. It is their democratic decision.
"If they succeed, I will the the happiest person as I also want to retire. I am feeling tired and exhausted," he said.
'Prison a symbol of Indian marginalisation'
Uthayakumar's move to take a breather may seem like he has been tamed by the cold hard walls of Kajang prison which he admitted was a "nightmare".
But he stressed that his incarceration reinforced his commitment to fight for the plight of the Indian poor.
"When I was released yesterday, the next in line (to be released) was a 39-year-old. His name was Rajagopal. He had gone to prison 29 times; that is how chronic the Indian problem is.
"His father is a Kuala Lumpur City Hall sewerage worker, his mother a sweeper and he has never received any education as the family had many siblings to feed," he said.
He
added that Indians made up almost a third of the total number of prison
inmates despite only comprising eight percent of the country's
population. Uthayakumar is of the opinion that poverty drives them to
commit crime.Despite the seriousness of the problem, Uthayakumar lamented that Pakatan, which was helped by Indian Malaysians' discontent when it first came into power, had not taken concrete steps to address the issues faced by the Indian poor in states where it ruled.
Having called on Indian Malaysians to turn to the people who they voted for, Uthayakumar only had this to say to Pakatan leaders: "Do not sidestep the Indian poor issues, they are very critical, so please don't sidestep them".
However, he said Hindraf itself will not be taking any sides.
Asked if he will return to Malaysia after his sabbatical to pick up Hindraf's torch again if things do not improve, Uthayakumar merely replied: "I'll take it as it comes."
Uthayakumar: I won’t join any political party
“I walked into the prison with this orange shirt,” he said, pointing to his trademark Hindraf shirt.
“And I left the prison with this orange shirt. I will not change it to dark blue, light blue or any other colour,” he said, making a reference to Barisan Nasional and PKR colours.
Uthayakumar was driven out of the prison compound at about 9.40am yesterday and was welcomed by his wife S. Inderadevi and a group of supporters and family members, who had waited from 7am.
Uthayakumar, who was jailed for sedition, said he had no regrets.
“The only day I cried in prison was when my mother passed away a week after the prison authorities refused my application to visit her in hospital,” he said.
His lawyers – former Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M. Manoharan and former Teluk Intan MP M. Manogaran – said they would continue with their efforts to have the Sedition Act abolished.
“This is our priority at the moment,” said Manoharan.
Uthayakumar, a former Internal Security Act detainee, was charged on Dec 11, 2007 with publishing a seditious letter on the Police Watch Malaysia website, dated Nov 15, 2007, addressed to then-prime minister of Britain Gordon Brown.
During the defence stage of his trial, Uthayakumar refused to submit his defence, claiming it was in protest over how Indians in Malaysia were being treated.
However, he later appealed to the High Court against the conviction.
On Feb 18, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed Uthayakumar’s appeal to quash his conviction but reduced his 30-month jail sentence by six months.
MyWatch chairman splurges RM340,000 on two exclusive ‘BMW’ car number plates
According to a photograph which has gone viral on Twitter and instant messaging app WhatsApp, Sanjeevan purchased the BMW8 and BMW11 plates for RM174,776 and RM165,000 respectively.
The photograph also shows the successful bidders for the numbers 1 to 12 bearing the BMW prefix, which is for cars registered with the Selangor JPJ (Road Transport Department).
The BMW number plate series were open for public tender at JPJ offices nationwide from Aug 14 till Aug 28.
Among the owners of the new BMW plates are badminton champion Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who paid RM97,777 for BMW6, Tengku Ahmad Shah (BMW3, RM132,000) and Tengku Sulaiman Shah (BMW5, RM188,100), and an unidentified member of the government administration, for which no payment was registered (BMW1, BMW2, BMW7, BMW9 and BMW10).
Twitter users had much to say of the extravagance, such as @The_Mamu who tweeted, “Sanjeevan ni meniaga apa sebenarnya? Kaya betul beli number plate mahal-mahal. (What kind of businessman is Sanjeevan? Must be very rich to be able to afford such expensive number plates.)”
@MuazFadhli was similarly gobsmacked, saying, “Kaya Sanjeevan ni. Lee Chong Wei beli satu je no plat BMW. (Sanjeevan is so rich. Even Lee Chong Wei bought just one BMW plate.)”
However, when asked about his purchase of the two plates, Sanjeevan declined to comment and said he would issue a statement on the matter soon.
Abolishment of Sedition Act would disrupt nation’s peace
The Sedition Act provides protection on several matters concerning the institution of monarchy, Bumiputera rights and privileges, as well as freedom of speech.
KUALA LUMPUR: The peace and stability enjoyed by the people in the country can be disrupted if the Sedition Act 1948 is abolished because several rights and privileges of the Bumiputeras stipulated in the Federal Constitution can be challenged.
Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said, right now, the Act provided protection on several matters concerning the institution of monarchy, Bumiputera rights and privileges, as well as freedom of speech.
“I think if the Sedition Act is abolished, anybody can challenge the privileges given to Bumiputeras in the Constitution.
“If this happens, I think the country will not be peaceful anymore and public safety can be shaken,” he told Bernama after appearing as a guest speaker in the Ruang Bicara Bernama TV programme here last night..
Musa said the Act need not be abolished or replaced by a new law, but could be modified to meet the current situation.
Prior to this, the government had proposed to abolish the Act and replace it with the National Harmony Act.
Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said, right now, the Act provided protection on several matters concerning the institution of monarchy, Bumiputera rights and privileges, as well as freedom of speech.
“I think if the Sedition Act is abolished, anybody can challenge the privileges given to Bumiputeras in the Constitution.
“If this happens, I think the country will not be peaceful anymore and public safety can be shaken,” he told Bernama after appearing as a guest speaker in the Ruang Bicara Bernama TV programme here last night..
Musa said the Act need not be abolished or replaced by a new law, but could be modified to meet the current situation.
Prior to this, the government had proposed to abolish the Act and replace it with the National Harmony Act.
India’s Modi Draws Huge US Crowds
Asia Sentinel
Just back from a tumultuous five-day visit to the US, Narendra Modi yesterday launched his Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Movement) by sweeping up rubbish in Valmiki Basti, a Delhi neighborhood where Mahatma Gandhi, once stayed. It was the father of the nation’s birth anniversary, and a public holiday at the beginning of the long festival weekend of Dussehra that celebrates the triumph of good over evil.
In his first radio broadcast to the nation, marking the Dussehra holiday, Modi asked people to “pledge to remove dirt from our lives”. He ordered thousands of bureaucrats to go to work and clean their offices in a drive that started a week ago, and the Delhi symbolic street sweeping was repeated in other state capitals where the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power.
After four months as prime minister, Modi is emerging as a motivated hands-on politician, who leads by example and expects others to do the same. He is beginning to strike chords with the mass of Indians who respect his and the BJP’s nationalism, which was echoed in a televised speech this morning by Mohan Bhagwat, leader of the RSS, the BJP’s arch Hindu fundamentalist parent organization.
Modi and Bhagwat called on people to follow thesimple life style of Mahatma Gandhi, and Bhagwat even asked them to boycott goods from China, apparently because of the two countries’ border confrontations,
Modi also sticks to his beliefs, refusing food at banquets during his successful US visit because he always fasts for nine days of the Navratri festival running up to Dussehra.
India is becoming accustomed to his symbolic gestures, which began with South Asian leaders being invited to his swearing in, and continued with him playing drums when he was in Japan, taking China’s president Xi Jinping to his home state of Gujarat for a festive evening, and last weekend addressing huge crowds in New York’s Central Park and (photo below) in Madison Square Gardens.
He has established himself as a tough politician who expects ministers and bureaucrats to turn up for work on time, actually take decisions, and keep files moving, so that policies are turned into action. He has shown the world he can be a friendly politician as well as a capable orator. Clearly a man on a mission to make India work, he also wants to make the world realise it is happening – something he seems to have achieved with President Obama earlier this week in Washington.
Now he needs to spend time in his grand Prime Minister’s Office in Delhi and turn all the symbolism and gestures into action.
But he won’t be doing that yet because tomorrow he is off to Haryana and Maharashtra to campaign for the BJP in state assembly elections due on October 15. The party needs to win those states from the Congress Party, partly to strengthen Modi’s ability to implement policies at state level, and partly because the BJP needs to build up its minority position in the Rajya Sabha, which is elected through state-level electoral colleges. Modi also needs to ensure that the BJP’s embarrassing defeats last month in various state assembly by-elections do not turn into a trend – and he wants to prove that he is still the party’s primary vote winner.
When he is back in Delhi after the political campaigning, Modi faces mounting problems. The most serious is that too many top ministers are in charge of several ministries, especially Arun Jaitley, the finance, defense and company affairs minister, who is a diabetic and is in hospital with a chest infection after a stomach operation. Jaitley is the most important, and also the most experienced and probably the most capable minister in the government. Doctors have said he might be home this weekend, but his load needs to be lightened.
Some commentators have been calling for Modi to introduce economic reforms that would catch headlines, but India does not need reforms so much as implementation of existing policies.
The clean India campaign, which expands on work done by the last Congress-led government, needs to be driven beyond yesterday’s symbolism. The task is huge in a nation that dumps rubbish in the streets, where a third of garbage is never collected, and 70 percent of rural homes have no access to toilets. Traditionally, cleaning is regarded as something best left to the lowest castes.
A new Made in India manufacturing policy needs political and bureaucratic leadership to reduce blockages that impede investment at all levels. Among many other examples, the highway building program needs to be actively revived, the railway system needs to be modernized, and care needs to be taken in revising environmental laws and regulations so that infrastructure projects are speeded up without seriously harming India’s natural heritage. Dreadful educational and health facilities also need to be improved in hundreds of thousands of villages and urban areas.
Governments everywhere love to go for high profile and fine sounding projects such as industrial corridors, special economic zones, smart cities, and bullet trains. Such long-term vision is of course necessary, but none of these projects, which Modi has been promoting, will help him to fulfil, by the time of the next general election, his pledges in this year’s election campaign to get India moving again. To do that, he and his ministers and top bureaucrats have to focus on the hard slog of unblocking bureaucratic lethargy and corruption, simplifying laws, and speeding up implementation.
Not a ‘pain in the ass’
Modi attracts a lot of brickbats from observers who find it hard to come to terms with his rise and international success. Pankaj Mishra, an Indian writer who has a following for views aired from his vantage point in the UK, scathingly wrote after Modi’s flamboyant success in the US that “India desperately needs a vision other than that of the vain small man trying to impress the big men with his self-improvised rules of the game.
The former Mumbai correspondent of The Economist, who is now posted in New York, managed to work “pain in the ass” into his blog report on Modi at Madison Square Garden, after which his editors responded to complaints by issuing a statement saying: “The Economist does not consider Mr Modi to be a ‘pain in the ass’. ” The epithet had merely been “how we imagined an uninformed New Yorker might feel about someone who causes a traffic jam” – which Modi had done as tens of thousands of Indians flocked to see him. That was especially embarrassing for the magazine because it had amazingly backed Rahul Gandhi to become prime minister in the general election since it could not bring itself to be identified with Modi.
There are many people waiting for Modi to fail to deliver on the dreams and visions of a successful India that he spun during his presidential-style general election campaign. Obama belted out “Yes we can” from his election platforms and, many would say, failed to deliver. Modi added, “Yes we will do” – now he needs to turn the oratory into practice.
John Elliott is Asia Sentinel’s New Delhi correspondent. He blogs at Riding the Elephant, which can be found at the bottom right corner of Asia Sentinel’s face page.
Anwar Ibrahim faces 'travesty of justice' in Malaysia, says Nick Xenophon
Independent senator says Australia should speak up on behalf of Malaysia’s opposition leader
Australian Associated Press
Australia is being challenged to speak up on behalf of Malaysia’s opposition leader as he faces “a travesty of justice” and the prospect of prison this month.
Anwar Ibrahim is appealing against a highly controversial sodomy conviction, and one of his lawyers has been charged with sedition for saying the scandal is politically motivated.
Anwar, too, is under further investigation, accused of making seditious comments in a political speech.
His 28 October appeal against the sodomy conviction may spark political tensions in Malaysia.
On Friday he met the independent senator Nick Xenophon in Jakarta. Xenophon was detained and deported when he tried to visit Anwar in Kuala Lumpur last year.
Xenophon said if Australia was any kind of friend to Malaysia, it would speak up.
“This is a travesty of justice,” he told reporters in Jakarta.
“It feels like Anwar has more charges against him than Muhammad Ali has had punches. It is a very serious issue.”
Anwar agreed Malaysian authorities, “on direction from the government”, were determined to put him behind bars.”
In his 2011 speech, he says, he said the words “fight the evil government”. That was now being considered sedition.
“I convey my appreciation to senator Nick Xenophon and my friends here who conveyed their concern for me,” he said.
Xenophon said he also remained concerned about the voter irregularities he had wanted to examine last year when he was detained.
“I think unofficially it’s expected that the real vote was much greater for the Malaysian opposition,” he said.
“So, this is the man who should be the prime minister of Malaysia today.”
Australia is being challenged to speak up on behalf of Malaysia’s opposition leader as he faces “a travesty of justice” and the prospect of prison this month.
Anwar Ibrahim is appealing against a highly controversial sodomy conviction, and one of his lawyers has been charged with sedition for saying the scandal is politically motivated.
Anwar, too, is under further investigation, accused of making seditious comments in a political speech.
His 28 October appeal against the sodomy conviction may spark political tensions in Malaysia.
On Friday he met the independent senator Nick Xenophon in Jakarta. Xenophon was detained and deported when he tried to visit Anwar in Kuala Lumpur last year.
Xenophon said if Australia was any kind of friend to Malaysia, it would speak up.
“This is a travesty of justice,” he told reporters in Jakarta.
“It feels like Anwar has more charges against him than Muhammad Ali has had punches. It is a very serious issue.”
Anwar agreed Malaysian authorities, “on direction from the government”, were determined to put him behind bars.”
In his 2011 speech, he says, he said the words “fight the evil government”. That was now being considered sedition.
“I convey my appreciation to senator Nick Xenophon and my friends here who conveyed their concern for me,” he said.
Xenophon said he also remained concerned about the voter irregularities he had wanted to examine last year when he was detained.
“I think unofficially it’s expected that the real vote was much greater for the Malaysian opposition,” he said.
“So, this is the man who should be the prime minister of Malaysia today.”
Our political climate is rife with sexism
Sexual jibes from close-minded individuals will not stop women from being heard in politics.
By Syerleena Abdul Rashid
Interestingly, the media tends to work up a frenzy every time a Malay woman joins DAP. Most recently, Melati Rahim – a niqab donning activist, announced her membership and less than 24 hours later, the vicious attacks ensued with hell bent fervour.
Already she has been accused as being an apostate, a traitor and worse yet, a suggestion by an irresponsible blogger, that any woman joining DAP, for that matter, would be better off vacationing as prostitutes.
What warrants such extreme contempt and disapproval? Aren’t the scandal-tainted politicians who waste billions of public funds and attempt to destroy any notion of racial harmony in our country worse than all of us who join the opposition?
Being women, a minority in a male dominated setting, makes us easier targets for sexist remarks and revolting suggestions. We are often singled out and ridiculed for our political choices; as if we have committed terrible crimes against humanity.
Some men in our society continuously berate us, as if in an attempt to ‘put us in our places’; it is as if our opinions on issues lack merit and we’d be better off playing into whatever gender stereotype these bigoted men have laid out in our society.
Well, society is changing and that is a fact that they have to fathom sooner or later and such bigoted attitudes must stop.
Taking verbal jabs and branding us as traitors is unjustified and cowardly. The hardships Malaysians experience are too real for us to back down and meekly accept.
DAP presents a positive platform for women in politics. For those already in politics, their voices can be heard across the Federation and the impact of their contributions in our socio-political landscape can be felt.
Judging from the accomplishments so far, these women are not simply playing second fiddle to a relatively male dominated landscape. They have demonstrated fortitude, perseverance, and prudence in their decision over tackling important matters (i.e. the inequalities and imbalances certain policies have created over the past decades) and they do all of these with such profound articulation, intelligence and finesse – virtues we seek in those elected to govern. Such traits are extremely inspiring for women and definitely something sexist bloggers or pseudo-intellectuals can learn a thing or two from.
Of course, we understand how politics works. After all, politics is often recognised as being a breeding ground for misogyny and this is evident from the crude remarks made towards women leaders and aspiring politicians.
If anything the continual personal attacks happen because it is required. The motives that warrant such appalling attacks are purely a survival tactic played out by those who know that their time is almost over. Such biased dominance is slowly losing relevance in a multi-ethnic nation that is seemingly embracing progressiveness and liberal education.
Instead of engaging in personal attacks and slander, BN-friendly parties and individuals should focus on highlighting pressing issues and enlightening us on pro-active policies that can help eradicate poverty among the marginalised as quite a number of Malaysians (and Malays for that matter) still belong in this category in spite of government-backed Bumiputera policies and rights that have been championed by Umno for decades.
Why not focus on improving our education system? The never ending ‘flip flopping’ and ‘U-turns’ will do nothing to improve our universities’ reputation. None of our local universities made the cut in the latest list of top 400 global institutions and this is worrying especially when our education system is supposedly on par with developed countries like Germany.
Malaysians are beginning to embrace a new chapter in politics and politically, we are maturing. Many of us have already broken down the barriers of race, religion and gender in politics.
The women in DAP represent all of that and such presence will inspire more bright and young Malaysians to join the struggle regardless of ethnicity. There are plenty of women in politics who are highly educated, extremely intelligent and beautiful in their own right. These women too have had their fair share of discrimination and know the frustrations of being perceived as the “weaker sex” all too well.
The toxicity of sexism seems to be a permanent fixture in our local politics but that can be dealt with – easily. We need to change the mindset of Malaysians and educate them that “whistles”, “howls” and threats are not acceptable to any woman. As a matter of fact, it is hostile and boorish. I dare say that it is getting old.
So far, these women have been handling their new found popularity – both good and bad, extremely well and eloquently. At the end of the day, it is through quality and dedication that politicians will have more supporters than enemies. Creating fear through threats will no longer work, if anything, it will only be advantageous to us who sit on the other side of the political spectrum.
And this is a notion that scares the ruling elite more than anything else.
Syerleena Abdul Rashid currently serves as DAPSY Bukit Bendera Secretary and DAP Wanita Bukit Bendera Political Education Director
Interestingly, the media tends to work up a frenzy every time a Malay woman joins DAP. Most recently, Melati Rahim – a niqab donning activist, announced her membership and less than 24 hours later, the vicious attacks ensued with hell bent fervour.
Already she has been accused as being an apostate, a traitor and worse yet, a suggestion by an irresponsible blogger, that any woman joining DAP, for that matter, would be better off vacationing as prostitutes.
What warrants such extreme contempt and disapproval? Aren’t the scandal-tainted politicians who waste billions of public funds and attempt to destroy any notion of racial harmony in our country worse than all of us who join the opposition?
Being women, a minority in a male dominated setting, makes us easier targets for sexist remarks and revolting suggestions. We are often singled out and ridiculed for our political choices; as if we have committed terrible crimes against humanity.
Some men in our society continuously berate us, as if in an attempt to ‘put us in our places’; it is as if our opinions on issues lack merit and we’d be better off playing into whatever gender stereotype these bigoted men have laid out in our society.
Well, society is changing and that is a fact that they have to fathom sooner or later and such bigoted attitudes must stop.
Taking verbal jabs and branding us as traitors is unjustified and cowardly. The hardships Malaysians experience are too real for us to back down and meekly accept.
DAP presents a positive platform for women in politics. For those already in politics, their voices can be heard across the Federation and the impact of their contributions in our socio-political landscape can be felt.
Judging from the accomplishments so far, these women are not simply playing second fiddle to a relatively male dominated landscape. They have demonstrated fortitude, perseverance, and prudence in their decision over tackling important matters (i.e. the inequalities and imbalances certain policies have created over the past decades) and they do all of these with such profound articulation, intelligence and finesse – virtues we seek in those elected to govern. Such traits are extremely inspiring for women and definitely something sexist bloggers or pseudo-intellectuals can learn a thing or two from.
Of course, we understand how politics works. After all, politics is often recognised as being a breeding ground for misogyny and this is evident from the crude remarks made towards women leaders and aspiring politicians.
If anything the continual personal attacks happen because it is required. The motives that warrant such appalling attacks are purely a survival tactic played out by those who know that their time is almost over. Such biased dominance is slowly losing relevance in a multi-ethnic nation that is seemingly embracing progressiveness and liberal education.
Instead of engaging in personal attacks and slander, BN-friendly parties and individuals should focus on highlighting pressing issues and enlightening us on pro-active policies that can help eradicate poverty among the marginalised as quite a number of Malaysians (and Malays for that matter) still belong in this category in spite of government-backed Bumiputera policies and rights that have been championed by Umno for decades.
Why not focus on improving our education system? The never ending ‘flip flopping’ and ‘U-turns’ will do nothing to improve our universities’ reputation. None of our local universities made the cut in the latest list of top 400 global institutions and this is worrying especially when our education system is supposedly on par with developed countries like Germany.
Malaysians are beginning to embrace a new chapter in politics and politically, we are maturing. Many of us have already broken down the barriers of race, religion and gender in politics.
The women in DAP represent all of that and such presence will inspire more bright and young Malaysians to join the struggle regardless of ethnicity. There are plenty of women in politics who are highly educated, extremely intelligent and beautiful in their own right. These women too have had their fair share of discrimination and know the frustrations of being perceived as the “weaker sex” all too well.
The toxicity of sexism seems to be a permanent fixture in our local politics but that can be dealt with – easily. We need to change the mindset of Malaysians and educate them that “whistles”, “howls” and threats are not acceptable to any woman. As a matter of fact, it is hostile and boorish. I dare say that it is getting old.
So far, these women have been handling their new found popularity – both good and bad, extremely well and eloquently. At the end of the day, it is through quality and dedication that politicians will have more supporters than enemies. Creating fear through threats will no longer work, if anything, it will only be advantageous to us who sit on the other side of the political spectrum.
And this is a notion that scares the ruling elite more than anything else.
Syerleena Abdul Rashid currently serves as DAPSY Bukit Bendera Secretary and DAP Wanita Bukit Bendera Political Education Director
Three Main Ingredients Of Moderation Will Continue To Drive National Development
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the three main ingredients of 'wasatiyyah' or moderation namely justice, balance and excellence will continue to be the values used in guiding the development of this country.
The Prime Minister said the government will continue its determination to turn Malaysia into a progressive and developed nation earning high income by the year 2020.
He said the government would also learn from the spirit of sacrifice in the past, to be made part of the struggles to prosper the nation based on justice and harmony.
"In line with the name AidilAdha, this great celebration which is iconised by two major obligations namely performance of the haj and the spirit of sacrifice to gain the blessings of Allah, and to cherish the teachings of Allah," he said in his message in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidiladha 1435 Hijrah tomorrow in his blog www.najibrazak.com.
Najib said as he had pledged in his public debate at the 69th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York recently, Malaysia would continue to hold tightly to the moderation approach as outlined by the Islamic religion.
He said the government was determined to continue with the national transformation agenda which would certainly require the commitment and willingness to carry out major sacrifices by everyone.
"At the same time, we are prepared to sacrifice time and lives to ensure that the stability and prosperity that we are enjoying remain protected.
"The national constitution and sovereignty of the Rulers will remain to be the identity of the Malaysian race, subversion and infiltration by anyone on this sovereignty will be sternly opposed and eliminated," he said.
Najib said he and his family prayed that those who were in the Holy Land would be safe in carrying out their religious obligation to attain the perfect haj.
"For those in the country, let us celebrate the hari raya by glorifying Allah and together we perform the AidilAdha prayers and perform the ritual of sacrifice," he said.
The Prime Minister said the government will continue its determination to turn Malaysia into a progressive and developed nation earning high income by the year 2020.
He said the government would also learn from the spirit of sacrifice in the past, to be made part of the struggles to prosper the nation based on justice and harmony.
"In line with the name AidilAdha, this great celebration which is iconised by two major obligations namely performance of the haj and the spirit of sacrifice to gain the blessings of Allah, and to cherish the teachings of Allah," he said in his message in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidiladha 1435 Hijrah tomorrow in his blog www.najibrazak.com.
Najib said as he had pledged in his public debate at the 69th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York recently, Malaysia would continue to hold tightly to the moderation approach as outlined by the Islamic religion.
He said the government was determined to continue with the national transformation agenda which would certainly require the commitment and willingness to carry out major sacrifices by everyone.
"At the same time, we are prepared to sacrifice time and lives to ensure that the stability and prosperity that we are enjoying remain protected.
"The national constitution and sovereignty of the Rulers will remain to be the identity of the Malaysian race, subversion and infiltration by anyone on this sovereignty will be sternly opposed and eliminated," he said.
Najib said he and his family prayed that those who were in the Holy Land would be safe in carrying out their religious obligation to attain the perfect haj.
"For those in the country, let us celebrate the hari raya by glorifying Allah and together we perform the AidilAdha prayers and perform the ritual of sacrifice," he said.
Cops confirm female doctor joined Islamic State in Syria – Bernama
Principal assistant director of the Counter Terrorism Division of the Special Branch at Bukit Aman, SAC Datuk Ayub Khan Mydin Pitchay, said the doctor was married to a Malaysian who was a member of the IS group.
He also said that a couple, a 23-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, who hailed from Selangor and Terengganu, respectively, were also among the 22 in Syria.
"A Malaysian man aged 35 had also gone to Syria with his 46-year-old wife, a foreign national," he told Bernama when contacted.
IS has taken control of huge areas in Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a caliphate. Its members are drawn from people in the two countries as well as foreigners.
Ayub Khan said the doctor was attempting to influence Malaysian women through a Facebook account and added that this was worrying.
"We are trying to establish the identity and background of and obtain more information about the woman's family. We are investigating how she could have been influenced to go there (Syria).
"Of course, she can use Facebook to draw women and girls easily. She can share photographs to show that accommodation and food are provided and they would only be involved in fighting alongside the mujahiddeen," he said.
However, he said, they would not be aware that there was exploitation of women and girls as sex slaves of the militants although so far it might not have involved Malaysians.
The United Nations has reported that the IS militants had kidnapped women and girls and forced them to be sex slaves.
Since the launch of a special operation by the Counter Terrorism Division on April 28, twenty-two individuals have been detained on suspicion of having been involved in militant activities.
People who have information on the IS group can contact investigating officer Insp Mohd Hazil Azhar or convey the information via telephone to 03-22665673 or e-mail to ctd.e8m@gmail.com. – Bernama, October 4, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/female-doctor-among-22-malaysians-fighting-for-islamic-state-bernama#sthash.W4PuXon6.dpuf
Hindraf founder wants to teach and study in the US
Having failed in his political struggle, Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) founder P. Uthayakumar who was freed from Kajang prison yesterday after serving a two-year jail term for sedition, is set to leave for Washington in the United States to "teach and do some research"."My family and I will be there for a couple of years. I want to do some research and teaching," he told The Malaysian Insider in a telephone interview.
He declined to divulge details.
Uthayakumar, who claimed that he is still Hindraf's de facto leader, expressed hope the government, Pakatan Rakyat and the private sector would halt all racially discriminatory policies and practices, especially against the Indian poor.
"I must confess that I failed to convince the Indians on Hindraf's projected 15/38 as the only way forward in marginal seats in last year's general election," he said.
Under this plan, Indians who made up between 10% and 30% of voters, could decide the winners in 15 parliamentary and 38 state seats in the west coast of the peninsula.
"I accept the people's verdict when they voted overwhelmingly for Pakatan candidates," said Uthayakumar who contested the Kota Rajah parliamentary seat and Seri Andalas state seat, and lost both.
The Human Rights Party Malaysia of which Uthayakumar was its pro-tem secretary-general, fielded candidates in some of the seats but all lost badly.
He has now urged Indians to take their problems directly to key Pakatan leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng and Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, instead of going through intermediaries.
He said Indians did not progress much in the economic and social development of the country despite voting en-bloc for the BN prior to the 2018 election.
The son of railway employee, Uthayakumar said that he has been fighting for the rights of Indians over the last 16 years. He had no regrets having been detained under the now repealed Internal Security Act in 2007 and sent to prison after being found guilty of sedition.
"I was only interested in the welfare of the Indians. The Orang Asli in the peninsula and Bumiputera community in Sabah and Sarawak have a social safety net as provided in the Federal Constituton and other written laws.
"There are non-governmental organisations, prominent lawyers like Datuk Dr Cyrus Das and Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan who championed the right of natives and indigenious people. It was only Hindraf who repeateadly higlighted the plights of the Indians," he said.
He also declined to discuss his relationship with younger brother Waytha Moorthy who is now Hindraf chairman.
"Hindraf is heavily tainted after it associated itself with the Barisan Nasional just before the general election last year.
"We only met during our mother's funeral and memorial service, and no contact beyond that," he said of his brother Waytha Moorthy.
Waytha, who was made senator and deputy minister in Datuk Seri Najib Razak's administraton, resigned from public office in February, citing that the prime minister had betrayed the Indians by not fulfilling the promises made in the memorandum of understanding signed prior to the 13th general election.
Waytha said Najib did not have the will and courage to meet the demands made in the memorandum.
Uthayakumar said while he would have used Hindraf to champion the cause of Indians, the present leadership is also highlighting the plight of non-Malays and the rights of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.
"The Indians are much worse off than any other community. The Chinese are economically well off. The 56 Sabah and Sarawak BN and opposition MPs can voice the frustration of the two states. Who do we have to give an effective voice to the marginalised Indians," he said.
While refusing to directly acknowledge Hindraf's strategy of being inclusive, he said there may be many ways of skinning a cat.
"I am glad that for the past 15 years, Hindraf has been voicing out issues that affects the Indians. Initially we were not heard but later got noticed," he added.
The Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur on June 5 last year convicted Uthayakumar for publishing remarks on the Police Watch website through a letter to then British prime minister Gordon Brown.
The then deputy public prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin had said the words used by Uthayakumar in the letter, such as "mini genocide" and "ethnic cleansing", gave the impression that grave crimes and racial oppression were committed by the government against the Indians here.
On September 17, the Court of Appeal upheld the Uthayakumar's sedition conviction, but reduced his jail sentence from 30 months to 24 .
Hindraf rose to prominence in 2007 when about 30,000 people gathered in a rally held in Kuala Lumpur over alleged discriminatory policies.
At least 240 people were detained, but half of them were later released. Soon after, Uthayakumar and four others were detained under the ISA and were only freed after Najib became prime minister in April 2009. – October 4, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/hindraf-founder-wants-to-teach-and-study-in-the-us#sthash.n4siszCW.dpuf
Saturday, 4 October 2014
ISIS fighters enter Kobani: reports
Reuters
SURUC Turkey/BEIRUT: ISIS fighters entered the Syrian town of Kobani near the Turkish border, a CNN editor said Friday.
CNN editor Ram Ramgopal tweeted that Alan Minbic, a Kurdish fighter, told the network that jihadists had entered the southwestern edges of the besieged town, known as Ain al-Arab in Arabic.
Meanwhile, Kurdish fighters defending Kobani warned of a likely massacre by ISIS insurgents as the Islamists encircled the town with tanks and bombarded its outskirts with artillery fire.
Turkey said it would do what it could to prevent Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish town just over its southern border, from falling into ISIS hands but stopped short of committing to any direct military intervention.
U.S.-led forces have been bombing ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq but the action has done little to stop their advance in northern Syria towards the Turkish border, piling pressure on Ankara to intervene.
Esmat al-Sheikh, head of the Kurdish forces defending Kobani, said the distance between his fighters and the insurgents was now less than one km (half a mile).
"We are in a small, besieged area. No reinforcements reached us and the borders are closed," he told Reuters by phone. "My expectation is for general killing, massacres and destruction ... There is bombardment with tanks, artillery, rockets and mortars."
ISIS has earned a reputation for extreme violence, carrying out widespread killings including beheadings in the Syrian and Iraqi territory it has seized.
Two large clouds of smoke rose up to the east of Kobani and there were several loud explosions from further inside the town as shelling continued and gunfire rang out, a Reuters correspondent on the Turkish side of the border said.
Fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) tried to push the insurgents back, firing missiles lit up by bright red tracers from the town and striking ISIS targets in a village a few kilometers to the east.
The frontlines between the Kurds and ISIS, a Sunni Muslim group still commonly known by its former acronyms of ISIS and ISIL, are fluid.
Idris Nassan, deputy foreign minister in a local Kurdish administration, said the YPG had been able to blunt ISIS gains over the past two days on the southeastern front.
"There are clashes every minute of the day. The YPG pushed ISIS back yesterday in the southeast of Kobani. ISIS were two km from Kobani (to the southeast) but they are now four km," he said. "From time to time there are shells by ISIS that reach the center of the city. Three hours ago there was a bomb that landed in Kobani. I haven’t heard about casualties."
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the eastern, western and southern fronts had not seen significant changes since Thursday, when ISIS fighters tightened their grip around Kobani.
But that at least 25 shells had hit the town, coupled with heavy clashes on the eastern and southeastern fronts on Friday.
TURKEY "NOT AT FAULT"
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey would do what it could to prevent Kobani from falling to ISIS but stopped short of committing to the sort of military intervention that the Kurds have been crying out for.
"We wouldn't want Kobani to fall. We'll do whatever we can to prevent this from happening," Davutoglu said in a discussion with journalists broadcast on the A Haber television station.
Parliament gave the government powers on Thursday to order cross-border military incursions against ISIS, and to allow forces of the U.S.-led foreign coalition to launch similar operations from Turkish territory.
But Davutoglu appeared to pull back from any suggestion that this meant Turkey was planning a military incursion, saying such a move could drag Ankara into a wider conflict along its 900 km (560-mile) border.
"Some are saying 'Why aren't you protecting Kurds in Kobani?' If the Turkish armed forces enter Kobani and the Turkmens from Yayladag ask 'why aren't you saving us?', we would have to go there as well," he said, referring to another ethnic minority in Syria across from a Turkish border town.
"When the Arab citizens across from Reyhanli say 'why don't you save us as well", we'd have to go there too."
Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz was also quoted as telling reporters that it would be wrong to expect imminent military action after the parliamentary motion passed.
Ankara fears military intervention could deepen the insecurity on its border by strengthening Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and bolster Kurdish fighters linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan said on Wednesday peace talks between his group and Turkey would collapse if ISIS militants are allowed to carry out a massacre in Kobani.
Davutoglu said it was wrong to link the two issues. "If Kobani falls, Turkey is not at fault. If Kobani falls, this shouldn't be tied to the solution process (with the PKK)."
SIGNS OF PROGRESS IN IRAQ
ISIS has carved out swathes of eastern Syria and western Iraq in a drive to create a cross-border caliphate between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers, terrifying communities into submission by slaughtering those who resist.
The United States has been carrying out air strikes in Iraq against the militant group since July and in Syria since last week with the help of Arab allies. Britain and France have also struck ISIS targets in Iraq.
There have been some successes on the ground. In Iraq, Sunni tribes have joined pro-government forces in recent days for several major battles against the militants. The Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad and the United States hope this is a sign of increasing cooperation across sectarian lines to save the country.
When ISIS fighters tried to storm the Tigris River town of Dhuluiya north of Baghdad this week, they were repelled by a rare coalition of Sunni tribal fighters inside the town and Shi'ites in its sister city Balad on the opposite bank.
Further north, another powerful Sunni tribe fought alongside Kurdish forces to drive ISIS fighters from Rabia, a town controlling one of the main border checkpoints used by fighters pouring in from Syria.
Village by village, Kurdish forces in northern Iraq have regained around half the territory they gave up in August when ISIS militants tore through their defenses in the northwest, prompting the United States to launch airstrikes in September, its first since 2011.
Turkey insists the air strikes alone will not contain the ISIS threat, and wants simultaneous action to be taken against Assad's government, including the creation of a no-fly zone on the Syrian side of the border.
"You know what will happen if there isn’t a no-fly zone? ISIL bases will be bombed and then the Syrian regime, Assad, who has committed all those massacres, believing that he is now legitimate, will bide his time and bomb Aleppo," Davutoglu said.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Oct-03/272872-isis-fighters-enter-kobani-reports.ashx#ixzz3F7m6N8Mh
Follow us: @DailyStarLeb on Twitter | DailyStarLeb on Facebook
SURUC Turkey/BEIRUT: ISIS fighters entered the Syrian town of Kobani near the Turkish border, a CNN editor said Friday.
CNN editor Ram Ramgopal tweeted that Alan Minbic, a Kurdish fighter, told the network that jihadists had entered the southwestern edges of the besieged town, known as Ain al-Arab in Arabic.
Meanwhile, Kurdish fighters defending Kobani warned of a likely massacre by ISIS insurgents as the Islamists encircled the town with tanks and bombarded its outskirts with artillery fire.
Turkey said it would do what it could to prevent Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish town just over its southern border, from falling into ISIS hands but stopped short of committing to any direct military intervention.
U.S.-led forces have been bombing ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq but the action has done little to stop their advance in northern Syria towards the Turkish border, piling pressure on Ankara to intervene.
Esmat al-Sheikh, head of the Kurdish forces defending Kobani, said the distance between his fighters and the insurgents was now less than one km (half a mile).
"We are in a small, besieged area. No reinforcements reached us and the borders are closed," he told Reuters by phone. "My expectation is for general killing, massacres and destruction ... There is bombardment with tanks, artillery, rockets and mortars."
ISIS has earned a reputation for extreme violence, carrying out widespread killings including beheadings in the Syrian and Iraqi territory it has seized.
Two large clouds of smoke rose up to the east of Kobani and there were several loud explosions from further inside the town as shelling continued and gunfire rang out, a Reuters correspondent on the Turkish side of the border said.
Fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) tried to push the insurgents back, firing missiles lit up by bright red tracers from the town and striking ISIS targets in a village a few kilometers to the east.
The frontlines between the Kurds and ISIS, a Sunni Muslim group still commonly known by its former acronyms of ISIS and ISIL, are fluid.
Idris Nassan, deputy foreign minister in a local Kurdish administration, said the YPG had been able to blunt ISIS gains over the past two days on the southeastern front.
"There are clashes every minute of the day. The YPG pushed ISIS back yesterday in the southeast of Kobani. ISIS were two km from Kobani (to the southeast) but they are now four km," he said. "From time to time there are shells by ISIS that reach the center of the city. Three hours ago there was a bomb that landed in Kobani. I haven’t heard about casualties."
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the eastern, western and southern fronts had not seen significant changes since Thursday, when ISIS fighters tightened their grip around Kobani.
But that at least 25 shells had hit the town, coupled with heavy clashes on the eastern and southeastern fronts on Friday.
TURKEY "NOT AT FAULT"
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey would do what it could to prevent Kobani from falling to ISIS but stopped short of committing to the sort of military intervention that the Kurds have been crying out for.
"We wouldn't want Kobani to fall. We'll do whatever we can to prevent this from happening," Davutoglu said in a discussion with journalists broadcast on the A Haber television station.
Parliament gave the government powers on Thursday to order cross-border military incursions against ISIS, and to allow forces of the U.S.-led foreign coalition to launch similar operations from Turkish territory.
But Davutoglu appeared to pull back from any suggestion that this meant Turkey was planning a military incursion, saying such a move could drag Ankara into a wider conflict along its 900 km (560-mile) border.
"Some are saying 'Why aren't you protecting Kurds in Kobani?' If the Turkish armed forces enter Kobani and the Turkmens from Yayladag ask 'why aren't you saving us?', we would have to go there as well," he said, referring to another ethnic minority in Syria across from a Turkish border town.
"When the Arab citizens across from Reyhanli say 'why don't you save us as well", we'd have to go there too."
Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz was also quoted as telling reporters that it would be wrong to expect imminent military action after the parliamentary motion passed.
Ankara fears military intervention could deepen the insecurity on its border by strengthening Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and bolster Kurdish fighters linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan said on Wednesday peace talks between his group and Turkey would collapse if ISIS militants are allowed to carry out a massacre in Kobani.
Davutoglu said it was wrong to link the two issues. "If Kobani falls, Turkey is not at fault. If Kobani falls, this shouldn't be tied to the solution process (with the PKK)."
SIGNS OF PROGRESS IN IRAQ
ISIS has carved out swathes of eastern Syria and western Iraq in a drive to create a cross-border caliphate between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers, terrifying communities into submission by slaughtering those who resist.
The United States has been carrying out air strikes in Iraq against the militant group since July and in Syria since last week with the help of Arab allies. Britain and France have also struck ISIS targets in Iraq.
There have been some successes on the ground. In Iraq, Sunni tribes have joined pro-government forces in recent days for several major battles against the militants. The Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad and the United States hope this is a sign of increasing cooperation across sectarian lines to save the country.
When ISIS fighters tried to storm the Tigris River town of Dhuluiya north of Baghdad this week, they were repelled by a rare coalition of Sunni tribal fighters inside the town and Shi'ites in its sister city Balad on the opposite bank.
Further north, another powerful Sunni tribe fought alongside Kurdish forces to drive ISIS fighters from Rabia, a town controlling one of the main border checkpoints used by fighters pouring in from Syria.
Village by village, Kurdish forces in northern Iraq have regained around half the territory they gave up in August when ISIS militants tore through their defenses in the northwest, prompting the United States to launch airstrikes in September, its first since 2011.
Turkey insists the air strikes alone will not contain the ISIS threat, and wants simultaneous action to be taken against Assad's government, including the creation of a no-fly zone on the Syrian side of the border.
"You know what will happen if there isn’t a no-fly zone? ISIL bases will be bombed and then the Syrian regime, Assad, who has committed all those massacres, believing that he is now legitimate, will bide his time and bomb Aleppo," Davutoglu said.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Oct-03/272872-isis-fighters-enter-kobani-reports.ashx#ixzz3F7m6N8Mh
Follow us: @DailyStarLeb on Twitter | DailyStarLeb on Facebook
Radicalised teen Numan Haider launched ‘frenzied’ attack on police
The Australian
A CORONER has heard how radicalised teenager Numan Haider launched into an immediate and frenzied stabbing attack when approached by two counter-terrorism officers who yelled at him to drop his knife.
Haider, who had expressed support for the Islamic State by carrying their flag at a suburban Melbourne shopping centre, was fatally shot last week after going to meet members of a Victorian and federal police joint counter-terrorism task force outside the Endeavour Hills
police station.
Coroner John Olle today held the first directions hearing of his probe into the 18-year old’s death.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Jessica Wilby, told the court Haider had gone to the police station at the request of the counter-terrorism team to talk about the cancellation of his passport.
Authorities had been monitoring Haider for several weeks as he displayed increasingly radical behaviour, and feared he would try to join the dozens of Australians fighting for jihadist forces in Iraq and Syria.
Haider had attended lectures at the al-Furqan Islamic centre which was the centre of counter-terrorism raids in 2012.
Ms Wilby said Haider called the AFP officer he had been dealing with at 7.30pm on September 23 to say he was outside the police station, in the carpark of the neighbouring child care centre.
As the AFP officer and a Victoria Police colleague left the station and approached Haider, they noticed he had his hand in his jacket pocket.
They asked him to remove his hand, and he did so — revealing a knife clasped in his fist.
Haider then swiftly launched an attack on the Victoria Police officer, stabbing him in the arm.
The officer fell backwards and Haider moved on to the AFP officer, stabbing him repeatedly in the head and chest.
The Victoria Police officer commanded Haider to drop his weapon, but the frenzied attack continued, prompting the officer to shoot a single fatal round to the teenager’s head.
Haider was pronounced dead at 8.07pm.
He was still clutching the knife in his hand when other police officers arrived to investigate the scene.
The names of the two police officers have been suppressed due to fears for their safety.
Today Mr Olle also suppressed the names and images of the Haider family, hearing they had received death threats since the attack.
Haider’s father and brother attended the brief directs hearing.
Mr Olle said he wanted to provide independent answers to “grieving families” and the community.
“The particular sensitivity surrounding this incident demands the utmost public confidence in the coronial jurisdiction as an independent investigative authority,” he said.
“It is important to remember there are three Victorian families directly involved in this incident.”
Victoria Police acting sergeant Neil Smith, who is leading the homicide investigation, told the court 35 witness statements had already been obtained, with 40 statements still to come.
Results of toxicology, pathology, forensic and ballistic tests are still pending.
CCTV footage of the surrounding area is also being reviewed.
The coroner will receive a brief of the evidence in January ahead of an inquest date yet to be fixed.
A CORONER has heard how radicalised teenager Numan Haider launched into an immediate and frenzied stabbing attack when approached by two counter-terrorism officers who yelled at him to drop his knife.
Haider, who had expressed support for the Islamic State by carrying their flag at a suburban Melbourne shopping centre, was fatally shot last week after going to meet members of a Victorian and federal police joint counter-terrorism task force outside the Endeavour Hills
police station.
Coroner John Olle today held the first directions hearing of his probe into the 18-year old’s death.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Jessica Wilby, told the court Haider had gone to the police station at the request of the counter-terrorism team to talk about the cancellation of his passport.
Authorities had been monitoring Haider for several weeks as he displayed increasingly radical behaviour, and feared he would try to join the dozens of Australians fighting for jihadist forces in Iraq and Syria.
Haider had attended lectures at the al-Furqan Islamic centre which was the centre of counter-terrorism raids in 2012.
Ms Wilby said Haider called the AFP officer he had been dealing with at 7.30pm on September 23 to say he was outside the police station, in the carpark of the neighbouring child care centre.
As the AFP officer and a Victoria Police colleague left the station and approached Haider, they noticed he had his hand in his jacket pocket.
They asked him to remove his hand, and he did so — revealing a knife clasped in his fist.
Haider then swiftly launched an attack on the Victoria Police officer, stabbing him in the arm.
The officer fell backwards and Haider moved on to the AFP officer, stabbing him repeatedly in the head and chest.
The Victoria Police officer commanded Haider to drop his weapon, but the frenzied attack continued, prompting the officer to shoot a single fatal round to the teenager’s head.
Haider was pronounced dead at 8.07pm.
He was still clutching the knife in his hand when other police officers arrived to investigate the scene.
The names of the two police officers have been suppressed due to fears for their safety.
Today Mr Olle also suppressed the names and images of the Haider family, hearing they had received death threats since the attack.
Haider’s father and brother attended the brief directs hearing.
Mr Olle said he wanted to provide independent answers to “grieving families” and the community.
“The particular sensitivity surrounding this incident demands the utmost public confidence in the coronial jurisdiction as an independent investigative authority,” he said.
“It is important to remember there are three Victorian families directly involved in this incident.”
Victoria Police acting sergeant Neil Smith, who is leading the homicide investigation, told the court 35 witness statements had already been obtained, with 40 statements still to come.
Results of toxicology, pathology, forensic and ballistic tests are still pending.
CCTV footage of the surrounding area is also being reviewed.
The coroner will receive a brief of the evidence in January ahead of an inquest date yet to be fixed.
Surendran bids to refer sedition case to High Court
The accused, represented by counsel Lateefa Koya, said he was seeking the court to determine whether there were any constitutional issues in his sedition case, that should be appropriately dealt with by the High Court.
Judge Ahmad Bache set Oct 15 to hear Surendran's application.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told the court that the prosecution would file preliminary objections against the application.
The accused was charged on Aug 28 with making a seditious statement relating to opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim’s second sodomy case.
Surendran, 48, allegedly committed the offence through YouTube at the Palace of Justice, Precinct 3, Putrajaya between 2pm and 4pm on Aug 8.
The charge under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948, carries a maximum three years’ imprisonment or RM5,000 fine or both, upon conviction.
- Bernama
Whose country was this? Whose is it now?
Wong Chin Huat
Let’s first accept a fact: there is not a single version of history. Never, not in any country.
Granted, official history – that appears in official documents and is taught in primary and secondary school classrooms – cannot afford to have many versions. The single version therefore should be as far as possible inclusive to do justice to all parties.
Why Malaysia is not Malacca’s successor
In the state’s official narratives, Malaysia is simply a successor state of the Malaccan sultanate.
I consider that a distortion because the Malaccan sultanate never extended its power across the South China Sea, even at its height.
The north coast of Borneo Island – namely, what we today call Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah – was nominally the territories of the Brunei sultanate, with the Sulu sultanate later making some claims on east coast of Sabah.
To me, the official history is a distortion because it hides the fact that today’s West Malaysia and East Malaysia were never ruled by the same power before the British.
Malaysia is largely and was intended to be the successor state of British Southeast Asia – officially known as British Malaya (including Singapore) and British Borneo.
Our modern boundaries are largely the result of the British, the Dutch and the Siamese self-dividing their imperial realms.
I can understand why and how my more inclusive narrative of Malaysian history is inconvenient and troublesome for many parties with vested interests because it leads to at least two implications.
First, in designing and debating the nation’s future, we cannot just look at certain periods of ancient history and overlook the more immediate periods that shaped us into what we are today, especially for Sarawak and Sabah. They became a political entity only during and because of the rule of the Brooke dynasty and the British North Borneo Company.
Second, our anti-colonial discourse was not as straightforward as per the official narrative. Our founding fathers were both collaborators and opponents to the British. They were not anti-colonial throughout.
Who owns the state?
A Muslim Dusun reader from Sabah reacted angrily towards my interpretation of history. He saw it as a deliberate attempt to erase the Malayness of Malaysia and to deny historical continuity.
This is completely untrue. I always see Nusantara (for me, maritime Southeast Asia which stretches from Aceh in northwest to Luzon in northeast and Timor in southeast) as a civilisational zone, on which post-colonial states were built.
I recognise that migration within the region before the emergence of nation-states was very common. I also recognise that Malay has been the lingua franca in the region for millennia.
I want to take my Dusun friend’s concern to a larger and more normative question in the context of nation-building and multiculturalism: how impartial should a state – in this case, Malaysia – be?
In simple terms, should the state treat everyone the same? This comes back to a more fundamental question: who owns the state?
A universalist view would see the state as a common possession of all citizens, therefore the state should treat everyone equally. This is now the global norm, at least for countries that call themselves democracies.
However, if some segment of population can be unreasonably denied citizenship – in the extreme form, they could be treated as slaves, which was the norm in many countries till two centuries ago – then equal treatment for citizens becomes hollow.
Hence, equality and inclusion would demand that citizenship be extended maximally to all residents who are willing to pledge their loyalty to the state.
Can new citizens shape the nation-state’s identity?
But as immigration becomes more prevalent, this poses a threat to the existing citizens of a state: will they be overwhelmed by newcomers?
Malaysians are so familiar with ethno-centrist calls of “Balik Tongsan” or “Balik India” that some may think this is exclusively our problem. It is not.
The fear of immigrants is in human nature. From neighbouring Singapore to Hong Kong, to Europe, America and Australia, immigrants are faced with hostility and discrimination.
To begin with, immigration is a very powerful self-selection process to produce the fittest survivors – the meek would not start their journey or might not make it.
Immigrants are therefore often hardworking, tough and determined to achieve a better life. Their competitiveness and aggression then often force the less competitive ones among the existing population out of jobs or businesses or university enrolments, even though the economy as a whole may become wealthier because of the immigrants. This is the interest-based resentment.
But immigrants are also different culturally, linguistically and religiously. They change the social fabric and cultural landscape of the nation-state, making it different and strange. This is the identity-based resentment.
Combining the interest and identity aspects, you can then have at least four basic positions on immigrants: first, reject them (no citizenship); second, accept them but force them to be assimilated (assimilationist equal citizenship); third, accept but constrain them if they refuse to be assimilated (assimilation-driven differentiated citizenship) ; fourth, accept them and celebrate diversity (multiculturalist equal citizenship).
In Malaysia, the debate is all the while dominated by the third and fourth positions, with the first position now increasingly voiced out by the Malay-Muslim ultra-nationalists.
What is problematic is that identity- and interest-based arguments against equal citizenship are entangled together and protected from rational reflection and scholarly examination by draconian laws like the Sedition Act.
For Malaysia to move on, we will need to disentangle and debate the issues and contentions in nuanced ways. Here I would attempt to deal with the identity concern.
State impartiality – to what degree?
The state’s cultural identity is mainly manifested in two ways: religion and language.
Between the two, religion is older and more intense in shaping the form and boundaries of states.
But there is a commonality as to why states are inherently tempted to wed themselves to religion and language: they help to homogenise the population in thought and facilitate control. One argument for state impartiality is therefore to reduce control and advance freedom.
If state impartiality is preferred, how impartial should it be? A maximal position is to completely exclude religion from state affairs to ensure impartiality. No religion should have its explicit influences in state laws and policies, or receive state aid.
As states cannot operate without any language, a comparable maximal position in language would be creating as many as feasible official languages. The best examples are perhaps India (as a national-state) and the European Union (as a supranational state).
In Malaysia, multiculturalism is often seen as pursuing these two extreme ends, and hence making the nation a faceless entity with no specific historical ties, which is unacceptable for the Malay-Muslim majority.
Preservation of the religious and linguistic roots of the state governing a multi-ethnic population then naturally takes the form of dismissing state impartiality.
That Malaysia is commonly owned by all Malaysians become politically incorrect and even legally seditious. To me, the delegitimation of state impartiality is the “intellectual” basis of Ketuanan Melayu in the post-colonial contestation of nationhood.
In religious field, its variant “Ketuanan Muslim” goes on to deny that Malaysia is a secular state by defining secularism in the maximum, like France or the United States – which Malaysia cannot be.
Malaysia’s secularism is modelled on the United Kingdom, where the monarch is the patron of the national religion – the Anglican Church – and 26 bishops sitting in the House of Lords, but the Church does not dictate state policies. Any wonder why we don’t read about British non-Christians’ resentment against the Anglican Church?
In this soft form of secularism, the state is not impartial, only impartial in dealing with citizens. The state has a religion but it does not impose it on its citizens. This was in fact very much the essence of the Westphalian notion of secularism to end the wars between the Catholics and the Protestants.
Taking this Westphalian notion of soft state impartiality to language, this would mean the state can promote Bahasa Melayu as the national language but the speakers of other languages should not be unreasonably discriminated against.
But making a Westphalian settlement work requires effort and trust from both sides. A Westphalian-neutral state should receive full support from all in upholding its non-threatening cultural identity.
The advocates of a multicultural Malaysia should therefore be comfortable in believing both that “Malaysia belongs to all Malaysians today” and “Malaysia was the lands of Malays and the indigenous tribes”.
They should enthusiastically embrace both the Malay language and linguistic freedom, and support Islam insofar as religious freedom is fully respected.
On a personal note, I would like to thank my Dusun friend, mondouotogod, a long-time critic of this column, for pushing me into starting my Bahasa Melayu column in August. – October 3, 2014.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/wong-chin-huat/article/whose-country-was-this-whose-is-it-now#sthash.wzms2cpN.dpuf
Waytha’s prayers for Uthaya
“Our paths may have differed, and may still differ to an extent, but we are equally committed to ending the marginalisation of the minorities and ending entrenched racial policies.”
KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Makkal Sakthi chairman P. Waythamoorthy, in openly conceding for the first time a parting of ways in the past with his elder brother P. Uthayakumar, has reiterated that the latter should not have been charged under the Sedition Act and incarcerated for speaking the truth.
“The letter he wrote to then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was a statement of truth and we in Hindraf maintain this fact,” said Waytha who was briefly a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Senator after the 13th General Elections in May last year.
“We have always held that the Government should initiate an independent inquiry into the truth of Uthaya’s allegations on the plight of the marginalised and the underclass.”
Waytha was welcoming the release of Uthaya from prison after a long stretch.
Waytha pointed out that Uthaya’s jailing under the Sedition Act after having been released from detention under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) was double punishment for him.
“It was mean, vicious and vindictive of the government,” said Waytha. “It was to silence him, thwart his struggle for the marginalised and underclass and prevent him from developing the Human Rights Party Malaysia (HRPM) as an alternative voice in politics.”
The younger brother remains convinced that the jail sentence will not prevent his elder brother from speaking up on behalf of the voiceless, the poor and marginalised. He has always shown courage and determination in championing the plight of the underclass, he added.
“Our paths may have differed, and may still differ to an extent, but we are equally committed to ending the marginalisation of the minorities and ending the entrenched racial policies that have caused so much misery in the lives of so many,” cried Waytha.
Uthaya can now take time to rest and spend quality time with family and true friends.
P. Uthayakumar began his political career with the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) which despite its call for reformasi went on to distance itself from him and label him a “racist”.
He then formed Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia, the forerunner of HRPM.
He also formed an NGO, Police Watch to keep a watch on extra judicial killings of youths, many Indians, and deaths in police custody.
“The letter he wrote to then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was a statement of truth and we in Hindraf maintain this fact,” said Waytha who was briefly a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Senator after the 13th General Elections in May last year.
“We have always held that the Government should initiate an independent inquiry into the truth of Uthaya’s allegations on the plight of the marginalised and the underclass.”
Waytha was welcoming the release of Uthaya from prison after a long stretch.
Waytha pointed out that Uthaya’s jailing under the Sedition Act after having been released from detention under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) was double punishment for him.
“It was mean, vicious and vindictive of the government,” said Waytha. “It was to silence him, thwart his struggle for the marginalised and underclass and prevent him from developing the Human Rights Party Malaysia (HRPM) as an alternative voice in politics.”
The younger brother remains convinced that the jail sentence will not prevent his elder brother from speaking up on behalf of the voiceless, the poor and marginalised. He has always shown courage and determination in championing the plight of the underclass, he added.
“Our paths may have differed, and may still differ to an extent, but we are equally committed to ending the marginalisation of the minorities and ending the entrenched racial policies that have caused so much misery in the lives of so many,” cried Waytha.
Uthaya can now take time to rest and spend quality time with family and true friends.
P. Uthayakumar began his political career with the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) which despite its call for reformasi went on to distance itself from him and label him a “racist”.
He then formed Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia, the forerunner of HRPM.
He also formed an NGO, Police Watch to keep a watch on extra judicial killings of youths, many Indians, and deaths in police custody.
Penang village re-zoned by PR, not Gerakan
Gerakan’s Oh Tong Keong says it was PR and not BN that re-zoned the heritage village into commercial land.
GEORGE TOWN: Penang Gerakan secretary Oh Tong Keong said today that it was the Pakatan Rakyat state government that sub-divided the Siamese-Burmese village land in Pulau Tikus and earmarked the settlement as a commercial zone in December last year.
“So the allegation that the previous BN government under Gerakan re-zoned the village into a commercial area was a lie,” Oh told newsmen at the Gerakan office here today.
He said both Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Pulau Tikus assemblywoman Yap Soo Huey had misled the villagers by saying otherwise.
Oh said under the state Heritage Enactment 2011, the state government had the powers to gazette the area as a heritage zone.
“If the state government does not have the power, how did it reject a developer’s application for planning permission to demolish and redevelop the village twice, in 2009 and 2010?” he asked.
He pointed out that the Penang Island Municipal Council had also rejected developer Airmas Development Sdn Bhd’s application for planning permission in 2008.
“If the state government was sincere and honest, it could easily gazette the village as a heritage site,” said Oh.
Oh also explained that all the previous Barisan Nasional government did was re-zone the land in 1996 as a religious-cultural and commercial zone to mirror the development of the area then.
He said the 5,457sq metre village land was sub-divided to lots 10029 and 10030 under a micro-zoning process last year.
The village has an open space, a Burmese trust building and a row of shophouses.
After the sub-division exercise, Lot 10029 comprised the village and shophouses and Lot 10030, the Burmese trust building and open space.
“So the allegation that the previous BN government under Gerakan re-zoned the village into a commercial area was a lie,” Oh told newsmen at the Gerakan office here today.
He said both Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Pulau Tikus assemblywoman Yap Soo Huey had misled the villagers by saying otherwise.
Oh said under the state Heritage Enactment 2011, the state government had the powers to gazette the area as a heritage zone.
“If the state government does not have the power, how did it reject a developer’s application for planning permission to demolish and redevelop the village twice, in 2009 and 2010?” he asked.
He pointed out that the Penang Island Municipal Council had also rejected developer Airmas Development Sdn Bhd’s application for planning permission in 2008.
“If the state government was sincere and honest, it could easily gazette the village as a heritage site,” said Oh.
Oh also explained that all the previous Barisan Nasional government did was re-zone the land in 1996 as a religious-cultural and commercial zone to mirror the development of the area then.
He said the 5,457sq metre village land was sub-divided to lots 10029 and 10030 under a micro-zoning process last year.
The village has an open space, a Burmese trust building and a row of shophouses.
After the sub-division exercise, Lot 10029 comprised the village and shophouses and Lot 10030, the Burmese trust building and open space.
DAP: Sexist, chauvinistic attacks have to stop
The party lodges a report with the MCMC over statements against its young Malay recruits.
SHAH ALAM: DAP today denounced what it called “offensive, distasteful and disrespectful” remarks against party recruits Dyana Sofea; Syefura Othman, better known as Rara; and Jamila Rahim, also known as Melati.
Speaking to reporters after lodging a complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today, the party’s National Legal Bureau Chairman, Gobind Singh Deo, spoke of two statements that “crossed the line and have personally affected Dyana, Rara and Melati.”
He said the statements contained remarks that were in “direct offence” of Section 3(3) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
“We hope for an expedited investigation,” he said.
One of the statements was featured in MyKMU.net under the title “Melati better off being a prostitute” and the other in a Free Malaysia Today commentary piece titled “DAP dan politik onani” (DAP and political masturbation).
“Such attacks have been going on for a while with the aim of tarnishing the image of DAP and its members, but there’s a limit to everything,” Gobind said.
“We don’t mind political debate and differences of opinion and we are open to criticism. But these attacks are personal, offensive, and contain elements that tarnish personal reputation.
“We will report to the authorities to put a stop to them.”
Dyana Sofea, Rara and Melati were also at the press conference.
“These attack are against women in politics in general and are degrading,” Dyana said.
“We are exercising our rights to join any legal party of our choice and there has to be a sense of maturity regarding this.”
Rara said the attacks degraded the image of women everywhere and were used to discourage women’s involvement in politics, especially if they were to join an opposition party.
Melati, a direct target of the statement carried by MyKMU.net, said, “People have questioned my religion of Islam and called me a prostitute. I’m still a Muslim regardless of my political affiliation.
“These statements are offensive to me personally and to my family.”
Gobind said DAP was considering defamation lawsuits against the offending parties as the next step.
“We are Malaysians and we respect our women and I hope appropriate actions are taken,” he said.
Gobind pledged to bring up the matter of women’s rights and their role in politics in the next parliament session.
Speaking to reporters after lodging a complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today, the party’s National Legal Bureau Chairman, Gobind Singh Deo, spoke of two statements that “crossed the line and have personally affected Dyana, Rara and Melati.”
He said the statements contained remarks that were in “direct offence” of Section 3(3) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
“We hope for an expedited investigation,” he said.
One of the statements was featured in MyKMU.net under the title “Melati better off being a prostitute” and the other in a Free Malaysia Today commentary piece titled “DAP dan politik onani” (DAP and political masturbation).
“Such attacks have been going on for a while with the aim of tarnishing the image of DAP and its members, but there’s a limit to everything,” Gobind said.
“We don’t mind political debate and differences of opinion and we are open to criticism. But these attacks are personal, offensive, and contain elements that tarnish personal reputation.
“We will report to the authorities to put a stop to them.”
Dyana Sofea, Rara and Melati were also at the press conference.
“These attack are against women in politics in general and are degrading,” Dyana said.
“We are exercising our rights to join any legal party of our choice and there has to be a sense of maturity regarding this.”
Rara said the attacks degraded the image of women everywhere and were used to discourage women’s involvement in politics, especially if they were to join an opposition party.
Melati, a direct target of the statement carried by MyKMU.net, said, “People have questioned my religion of Islam and called me a prostitute. I’m still a Muslim regardless of my political affiliation.
“These statements are offensive to me personally and to my family.”
Gobind said DAP was considering defamation lawsuits against the offending parties as the next step.
“We are Malaysians and we respect our women and I hope appropriate actions are taken,” he said.
Gobind pledged to bring up the matter of women’s rights and their role in politics in the next parliament session.
Islamic State influence spreads beyond Iraq and Syria
LAHORE, Pakistan — In Pakistan, some are slapping pro-Islamic State bumper stickers on their cars and writing chalk graffiti on walls exhorting young people to join the terrorist group.
In China, the government fears that Muslim Uighurs — a restive ethnic minority in the country's far west — have sought terrorist training from the Islamic State to establish a breakaway country.
In eastern Mali, an Islamic State-affiliated group called "Soldiers of the Caliphate in the Land of Algeria" has taken over much of Gao province, inflicting severe punishments for breaches of the Quran, like drinking alcohol. Those militants beheaded a French tourist in Algeria last month after France refused to halt its participation in U.S.-led airstrikes against the group in Iraq.
"The situation gets more and more complicated as our region becomes the stronghold of radical Islamists who only use violence to express their will," said Mamadou Idrissa, a businessman in Gao. "Our life has turned into a nightmare."
After its lightning takeover of a third of Iraq and Syria this summer, the Islamic State appears to be spreading its influence across much of the Muslim world and even in such non-Muslim countries as Australia and India.
"The Islamic State's appeal extends beyond the Middle East," said Fawaz Gerges, a professor of contemporary Middle East studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science. "Their strategy is anchored on the simple premise that it is a winning horse. It has promised the entire ummah — the Muslim community — that it could deliver victory and salvation."
The formation of the U.S.-led coalition trying to destroy the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria only enhances the legitimacy of the militant group, Gerges said.
But the Islamic State has limited capabilities outside its sanctuaries in Iraq and Syria, said Rick Nelson, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
"They have globalized rhetoric," Nelson said, "As far as an aggressive overseas campaign, I don't think the evidence is there."
The group is effective at whipping up support through social media. It has sent emissaries to jihadist groups in North Africa and elsewhere, said William McCants, an analyst at the Brookings Institution. He said the Islamic State wants to build a global presence, but that will take time.
The Pentagon said it has no evidence that Islamic State militants are planning to attack targets in the United States, but if left unchecked the group could pose a direct threat to the U.S. and other Western countries.
The Islamic State's popularity among some groups seems to be growing.
In Mali, Abu Othman, a former member of the Islamist group Ansar Dine, or "Defenders of the Faith" in Arabic, explained the appeal: The group's aggression was simply payback for past oppression against Muslims.
"Violence was not condemned by the people when Muslims were massacred by Christians in central Africa," Othman said. "So it goes without saying that the violence perpetrated by the Islamic State against the Christians is only one measure of retaliation."
Pakistan denies that the Islamic State made inroads into the nuclear-armed country, where sectarian violence, political instability and tensions with its non-Muslim neighbor, India, have long raised concerns among Western leaders.
"I have seen media reports that some pamphlets have been found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam, referring to a mountainous area of Pakistan formerly called North West Frontier province. "We have not seen any evidence of their presence on our territory."
But Pakistan is fertile territory for the Islamic State, particularly among al-Qaeda sympathizers who have seen the terrorist group's networks weakened over the past decade, analysts said.
"I don't think it will take long for the Islamic State to develop a base from disgruntled ex-al-Qaeda militants," said Ahmed Rashid, an analyst who has written about extremism in the region.
Talat Masood, a retired lieutenant general and independent defense expert in Islamabad, said Pakistan could become a battleground between the Islamic State and various rivals vying for power in the country.
"Power struggles between al-Qaeda and the Islamic State can aggravate the level of violence," Masood said. "There is no doubt that we will see a dangerous battle of influence developing between these two in which many innocent people will die."
In neighboring India — where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is wary of the threat from Islamist extremists in Pakistan — reports abound of Islamic State activity.
In August, the death of Islamic State fighter Arif Ejaz Majeed, a Muslim civil engineering student from suburban Mumbai, made headlines in India.
In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, around 24 Indian Muslims were photographed wearing pro-Islamic State T-shirts. In the northern state of Srinagar, masked youths were filmed waving Islamic State flags.
"While the threat from Pakistan-based jihadist organizations remains current, India is also witnessing the rise of self-motivated, ideologically inspired, homegrown jihadists," said Tufail Ahmad, director of the South Asia Studies Project at the Middle East Media Research Institute in Washington.
Uighurs (WEE-gurs) in China are similarly organizing.
"They not only want to get training in terrorist techniques, but also to expand their connections in international terrorist organizations through actual combat to gain support for more terrorist activities in China," the Global Times newspaper, the Communist Party's mouthpiece, said recently.
Australia plans to ban its citizens from traveling to Islamic State-controlled territories, like Raqqa in northern Syria. European countries, which suspect hundreds if not thousands of citizens have joined the Islamic State, have started cracking down on travel to that region.
Raqqa was the scene of a now infamous photograph of a young boy holding the severed head of a Syrian government soldier that reportedly was taken this year.
"My unambiguous message to all Australians who fight with terrorist groups is that you will be arrested, prosecuted and jailed for a very long time," Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament last month. "Our laws are being changed to make it easier to keep potential terrorists off our streets,"
Racelma reported from Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. Contributing: Janelle Dumalaon in Berlin, Caesar Mandal in Kolkata, India, and Jim Michaels, USA TODAY, in Washington.
Move To Reduce Subsidy To Look After People's Interest, Says Najib
PEKAN,
Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the
move by the government to reduce the fuel subsidy was to look after the
interest of the people and country in the long-run.He said although the move was unpopular, it had to be carried out as the fuel subsidy borne by the government each year was too high.
In fact, he said, if the move had not been taken, it would have an impact on the national economy due to the reduced revenue for national expenditure.
"Last year, the subsidy for fuel, petrol, LPG and diesel amounted to RM24 billion which was not a small amount.
"If we don't reduce the amount, it could result in insufficient revenue to pay for government expenditure," he said when speaking at the presentation of cattle for sacrifice for the Pekan parliamentary constituency in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidiladha, here today.
At the event which was also attended by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, Najib who is also the Member of Parliament for Pekan, had given out 505 heads of cattle for the whole parliamentary constituency.
At the same time, he said, the government would announce various measures to assist the rakyat in facing the problem of the reduced fuel subsidy in tabling the budget on Oct 10.
Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said this included the giving out of targeted subsidy directly to the people such as schooling aid, 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) and other assistance to be announced later.
"In the next budget, we will certainly think of how to assist the people so that the aid reaches the people directly and reduce the leakage so that the economy will be stronger, with higher economic growth and more revenue for distribution to the people," he said.
Najib said the government would also review the granting of bulk subsidy for fuel in view of the leakage in the distribution of fuel to the people in the country.
"This is because the fuel subsidy currently is also enjoyed by the richer group, tourists, foreign workers and illegal foreign workers.
"In fact, in the Pengkalan Kubor by-election recently, I found that a lot of our diesel had been smuggled out from Rantau Panjang to be sold across (in Thailand)," he said.
Meanwhile, Najib reminded the people to make the element of sacrifice as fundamental in achieving success.
"If we are willing to sacrifice with sincerity without expecting any return, InsyaAllah (God willing) we will be amply rewarded," he said.
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