Lone ranger PAS needs support from Najib, claims Mahathir

SG BESAR POLLS Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has claimed that PAS is now courting Umno as it requires support after being left as a stand-alone party.

"PAS is now alone. That is why they want support from (Umno president) Najib (Abdul Razak) in particular.

"PAS will not criticise Najib. As as stand-alone party with no more support, they need to seek help from Najib. Help in what form, I don't know," said Mahathir at a press conference after delivering the keynote address at a DAP-organised forum in Sekinchan.

He said this when asked whether he would also support PAS Sungai Besar candidate Dr Abdul Rani Osman if the Meru assemblyperson endorsed the Citizens' Declaration to call for Najib's resignation.

Mahathir earlier pledged his support for Amanah's Azhar Abdul Shukur who had signed the Citizens' Declaration.

Mahathir reiterated the two by-elections would not result in a change of government or its policies, but would make a statement.

"This by-election is a referendum.

"It is a move to show Najib that the rakyat have rejected him," he said.

Cuts both ways

Asked whether a victory for BN would then be seen as an endorsement for Najib, Mahathir said, "If you have a referendum you have to follow what the results are."

He, however, warned that it would lead to further destruction of the country's administration.

"People who support Najib either don't know what is happening, or they have dedak (animal feed) in their mouths.

"Whatever that may mean," he quipped.

Dedak is a metaphor for being obligated to the hand that feeds one.

PAS' campaign in both Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar have been shadowed by claims of future cooperation with Umno, although it has been repeatedly denied by the party's top leaders.

However PAS Youth chief Nik Abduh Nik Aziz was today reported in Sinar Harian suggesting otherwise, saying if Umno walks the Islamic path, "there would come a time when we can all unite".

Dr M hits campaign trail, declares support for Harapan candidate

SG BESAR POLLS Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has declared his support for Parti Amanah Negara Sungai Besar candidate Azhar Abdul Shukur.

This is after Azhar today signed the Citizens' Declaration to support the call for prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's resignation.

"I am now no longer a member of any party. Not Umno and not any other party. I am here as a concerned citizen.

"That is why I am here. To support an Amanah member who signed the Citizens' Declaration to remove Najib," said Mahathir in his keynote address at a DAP-organised forum on 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion scandal.

This is the first time Mahathir has openly campaigned for Pakatan Harapan after previously stating that he is against Najib and BN.

Even after several months since the Citizens' Declaration was launched, Mahathir said he still felt "awkward" sharing the stage with his former enemies.

The forum was attended by about 500 people who mostly wore Amanah's orange-coloured T-shirts.

In explaining reasons why Najib should be rejected, Mahathir insisted that never in his 22 years as prime minister did he receive as much as RM2.6 billion.

"I used to be the prime minister and I never received that much money.

"Even if I did, such donations must be rejected because we would have to 'sell ourselves' to foreigners," he said.

Najib and 1MDB have consistently denied all wrongdoings raised against it, despite ongoing probes by several foreign authorities.

Among other speakers at the forum include Selangor DAP chief Tony Pua, corruption watchdog C4 executive director Cynthia Gabriel and constitution expert Prof Abdul Aziz Bari.

Azhar is running against PAS' Dr Abdul Rani Osman and BN's Budiman Mohd Zohdi for the Sungai Besar seat.

The moment one woman ditched the symbol of ISIS oppression by throwing off her niqab after her village is liberated in Syria

By SARA MALM FOR MAILONLINE

• Several towns and villages in northern Syria, liberated from ISIS this week
• ISIS's strict dress code dictated women be covered head to toe in black
• Women are celebrating by wearing colours and ditching the niqab
• See more Syria news as liberated Syrian ditches symbol of ISIS oppression

This is the joyful moment a woman literally casts off ISIS rule by taking off her terrorist-imposed black niqab in front of fellow liberated villagers in northern Syria.

The strict dress code implemented by ISIS in their conquered areas in Syria and Iraq dictates that all women be covered from head to toe in black, covering their faces with a veil.

Images of women celebrating their freedom by no longer covering their faces in black veils are flowing out of Aleppo, where several villages and towns have been liberated from ISIS this week.

The unnamed woman is seen cheering as she removes the full-face black niqab to reveal a bright purple hijab underneath.

Other women in the village on the outskirts of Manbij, Aleppo, stand next to her, all wearing coloured dresses with their hands and faces exposed.

On Thursday, Khadija Abdu Al-Muotee from liberated Abu Qalqal, south of Manbij, also cast off the ISIS rules, and swore to never wear black again.

'Now I will only wear red!' an exhilarated Mrs Abdu Al-Muotee told Ara News after her town in northern Syria was freed from ISIS this week.

Celebrating the freedom of her home, Mrs Abdu Al-Muotee can be seen wearing a red leopard-print hijab decorated with flowers over a leopard-print dress with red patterns.

'They forced us to cover our faces with the Islamic veil and threatened to kill us,' she adds.

Video from Abu Qalqal shows women and children dressed in colourful clothes and adults no longer covering their faces in full niqab.

The crowd can be heard chanting 'We are freed! We are freed!'

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab alliance, have liberated several villages and small towns on the edges of Manbij, cutting of an important supply route.

Manbij is strategic town held by IS that serves as a waypoint between the Turkish border and ISIS's self-declared 'capital' of Raqqa.

ISIS has come under growing pressure on various fronts in Syria and Iraq, where it established its self-declared 'caliphate' in 2014.

The extremists lost control Friday of a vital supply artery when Arab-Kurdish forces completely surrounded a key jihadist-held town.

'The SDF cut off the last road from Manbij to the Turkish border,' said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group.

Manbij lies at the heart of the last stretch of territory along Turkey's border still under IS control, and was a key point on the jihadists' supply line from Turkey.

Other secondary roads to the frontier are more dangerous and difficult to access, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The US envoy to the anti-IS coalition backing the SDF, Brett McGurk, confirmed the road had been severed.

'ISIL terrorists now completely surrounded with no way out,' he wrote on Twitter, using another acronym for ISIS.

This week the SDF, backed by coalition air strikes, cut the road north out of Manbij to the IS-held border town of Jarabulus, which the jihadists had used as a transit point for fighters, money and weapons.

The SDF also blocked the road south out of Manbij heading to IS's de facto capital of Raqa.

'For the jihadists to reach the Turkish border from Raqa, they now have to take a route that is more dangerous because of regime troops nearby and Russian air strikes,' Abdel Rahman said.

Russia launched air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria in September.

Thousands of residents have fled Manbij - held by IS since 2014 - but jihadists who evacuated their families stayed to defend the town, the Observatory said.

About 20,000 people are still living in the town, which had a pre-war population of about 120,000 -- mostly Arabs, but about a quarter Syrian Kurds.

Last month, the SDF launched attacks on two fronts from the north of Raqa province towards Manbij and in direction of the IS-held town of Tabqa on the same vital supply line further south.

Regime troops backed by Russian air strikes have also pushed an offensive to the southwest of Tabqa.

Moscow and Washington -- despite backing different sides in Syria's five-year conflict -- have both focused efforts on fighting the jihadist group.

Syria's war has killed more than 280,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

13 passengers, 7 crew, Rosmah's aide tells Rafizi to do luggage math

An aide to Rosmah Mansor has dismissed the latest allegation concerning the luggage on board a private jet which flew the prime minister's wife to Istanbul.

According to Rizal Mansor, this was another miscalculation by PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli, who questioned the excessive number of bags and their contents this morning.

"The prime minister's wife is not the only passenger on the flight. The plane also carried 13 other passengers and seven crew members. Are you saying they all do not have any luggage?

"This is a long-range flight. So it means they would have to change clothes.

"Which is why the bags were hand-carried. They also carried their own food on board," he said in a Facebook post.

Rizal (photo) also accused Rafizi of attempting to cover up a previous miscalculation over the Istanbul flight hours.

"That is why he is now talking about the number of bags for the entourage of the prime minister's wife to Istanbul," Rizal said.

He said Rafizi's allegation that the plane had ample cargo space for baggage storage stemmed from the PKR parliamentarian's misunderstanding or lack of knowledge about aircraft specifications.

First of all, he explained, the particular plane's cargo space was not as large as others of the same model or make.

"YB (Rafizi) can check the term ACT - 'additional centre tank' with his friends in the airline industry. The plane's cargo compartment has been modified to accommodate a larger fuel tank to increase its flight range," he said.

Rizal also said that the cargo space had been used to transport equipment and costumes for Permata's performance troupe, which had accompanied Rosmah on her trip on an invitation.

"For your information YB, the cargo compartment for executive aircraft is also not the same as those of commercial flights.

"In the case of this flight, the cargo compartment was used to carry the costumes and props for the Permata Seni performance group, which was invited to perform over there (Istanbul)," he said.

Rizal claimed that Rafizi, who is also the MP for Pandan, had ill-intentions and wanted to incite hatred against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife.

"Maybe, in the Pandan constituency, there are no longer any public concerns that he needs to fight for, and that is why he is minding other people's business," he said.

While campaigning for the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar twin by-elections, Rafizi had accused Rosmah of using a private jet for her overseas trips.

However, Rizal denied any wrongdoing, stressing that Rosmah was legally accorded the privilege as the prime minister’s wife and when travelling on national matters.

Meanwhile, Rosmah, who was with her husband in his full day campaign in Kuala Kangsar, stayed mum when asked to respond to Rafizi's allegations.

She visited Hospital Kuala Kangsar this evening before leaving for the BN candidate Mastura Mohd Yazid's house.

Her security came to block journalists who tried to take video footage of Rosmah on their handphones.

Earlier, before her arrival, two police personnel had told the journalists to refrain from interviewing her.

Man hacks FB account to ask for breast photos

Compiled by NEVILLE SPYKERMAN and CRYSTAL CHIAM SHIYING

A SINGAPOREAN man was arrested after he hacked into a woman’s Facebook account and got several of her friends to send him photographs of their breasts, on the pretence of doing a breast cancer awareness project, Kwong Wah Yit Poh reported.

Police arrested the 27-year-old man near Orchard Road at about 10.30pm on Monday after several women lodged reports.

One of the victims said she received a Facebook message on May 2 from her friend who told her she was doing a breast cancer awareness project and wanted to collect breast photographs from women.

“At first I felt it could be a scam and rejected the request. I also felt uneasy to show my body to others. However, she insisted and told me that she would pay me S$500 to S$600 (RM1,500 to RM1,800) as an allowance.

“After some discussion, I agreed to help my friend finish the project and I also told her that she didn’t have to pay me,” said the victim, who subsequently sent her breast photograph to her friend’s account by Facebook Messenger.

She said she later found out that she was cheated after her friend posted a message on Facebook telling all friends that her account was hacked.

She then called her friend and lodged a police report together with another victim who she found out was also scammed.

MyWatch's Sanjeevan, woman inspector questioned in khalwat raid

PETALING JAYA: MyWatch chairman Datuk R. Sri Sanjeevan and a police inspector were caught during a khalwat (close proximity) raid at a luxury hotel in Seremban on Friday.

Sanjeevan and the inspector, reported to have been transferred, have not been arrested nor anything seized from them.

According to a report filed by Bukit Aman’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Department (JIPS), the raiding team comprising officers from JIPS and Negri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department, went to two connecting rooms at the hotel at 1.30am.

After identifying themselves, the team waited for 10 minutes before the occupant of Room 1002, who was the inspector attached to the Jempol station, opened the door.

They found the officer fully dressed and wearing a headscarf, while a brassiere was left on a chair, the report said.

The team then went to the other room, 1003, and found Sanjeevan alone and fully clothed. No woman’s clothes were found in the room.

The report said the inspector told police she was there to meet Sanjeevan but denied any intimate relationship.

Seremban OCPD ACP Muhammad Zaki Harun confirmed the report. He said the suspects did not commit any crime.

On the transfer of the inspector, he said it was unrelated to the case and transfers were normal procedures in the force.

Sanjeevan, in a WhatsApp reply to The Star Online, confirmed that he was in the hotel but “nothing inappropriate happened.”

“All I know I was alone in my room,” he said.

Mass yoga session on June 19 at Dataran Merdeka

Malaysia Hindu Dharma Maamandram (MHDM) is organising a mass yoga session on June 19, 2016 (Sunday) in conjunction with International Yoga Day, as acknowledged and designated by the United Nations General Assembly.

This event is organised by MHDM with the partnership of MyPPP National Youth Wing as co-organiser and supported by Kementerian Wilayah Persekutuan, Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM), Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), Hindu Youth Organisation (HYO), Malaysian Ceylonese Congress (MCC), Telugu Association Malaysia (TAM), ISCKON, Yayasan MyNadi and many more.

Last year (2015) being the maiden celebration of the event, we managed to attract 2,200 participants on June 21, 2015 at open ground of Sri Subramaniar Swamy (Batu Caves), Selangor. This was far beyond our initial estimate of 1,000 participants. Motivated by last year’s success we are targeting 5,000 participants to congregate at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur and perform basic Yoga postures simultaneously.

Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram, which is also generally known as ‘Maamandram’, is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to serving Hindus in Malaysia. With 35 active branches all over the country, MHDM is focused mainly on religious education and spiritual development as well as social service.

Founded in 1982, MHDM recently celebrated its 30th year of service. Maamandram aims to expand its service to the community even further and move forward in these modern times. Taking the motto ‘Service to the community through religion’ as inspiration, the Malaysia Hindu Dharma Maamandram continues to help Hindus in Malaysia strive for excellence and prosperity.

MHDM believes in adapting Hinduism to fit our lifestyle yet still holding on to what matters most - our roots and values. Our approaches are modern with conservative values. We hope to expand our scope further and also hope this website will help to enlighten you about our organisation.

We always seek volunteers who are willing to serve the community through religion which justifies our constantly widening Maamandram family. The MHDM family welcomes you to join us.

Another Hindu Temple in Penanti attacked, this time 'more severely'

Another century-old Hindu temple in Penang has been broken into, and its deities destroyed, this time “more severely” than last week's attack on a nearby temple.

Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy said the Sri Dharma Munisverar temple, which is located about one kilometre away from the Muthumariamman Temple in Penanti Estate, was vandalised around midnight.

“The previous incident in Penanti happened exactly one week ago, on Thursday. Today, we found that the deities were destroyed more severely than the previous ones,” Ramasamy told Malaysiakini.

He said the intruders entered the temple and appeared to have thrown a large stone at the three deities, smashing them into pieces.

The committee that oversees both temples was shocked by the incidents and unable to accept the desecration of their places of worship.

Ramasamy spoke to Penang chief police Abdul Ghafar Rejab, who reportedly said the matter would be thoroughly investigated.

“However, police are still uncertain whether the damage was caused by an insider or outsider. The police must be more alert from now on and must send their patrols to monitor the affected areas,” he said.

“With two related temples, looked after by the same committee being vandalised over a matter of one week, it looks as if the culprits are trying to send a strong message,” the Perai assemblyperson added.

“Is it the work of extremists or is this revenge?”

Only last week, several deities in the Muthumariamman Temple in Penanti Estate in Arakuda were destroyed by unknown attackers who are believed to have used a wooden pole to break the statues.

This followed a similar incident in Ipoh last month, with Ramasamy speculating that it may be due to the country's "heated political situation".

Najib announces RM500 aid for rubber tappers, smallholders

KUALA KANGSAR: Some RM194mil will be given out to rubber estate smallholders and rubber tappers in light of the commodity's drop in prices.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak made the announcement during a presentation ceremony at Dewan Jubli here Friday, and said the money would be distributed to 307,770 smallholders and 80,000 rubber tappers.

He said each individual would receive RM500.

He added that this was the third year the assistance had been given out.

Housewife among four charged with terror-related offences

KUALA LUMPUR: A housewife has claimed trial in a High Court here to possessing items related to terrorist activities in March this year.

Siti Nor Intan Shafinaz Johari, 27, was brought before High Court judge Justice Azman Abdullah to have the charge read to her.

She allegedly committed the offence at a house in Kampung Ujung Tanjung, Kuala Perlis, Kangar at about 8.15am on March 22 and was charged under Section 130JB(1)(a) of the Penal Code.

She later claimed trial to the charge Friday. The court then fixed June 29 for mention.

Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam was the deputy public prosecutor while counsel Farida Mohammad appeared for the accused.

In Judicial Commissioner Ab Karim Ab Rahman's court, the court has fixed June 24 for mention of a case involving businessman Muhammad Saiful Hashim, 35, who was charged with having items related to terrorist activities.

The offence, under Section 130JB(1)(a) of the Penal Code, was said to have committed at a house in Jalan Sekolah Derma, Kangar, Perlis, on March 22.

He also faces another charge of having six fake RM10 notes at the same place, day and time and was charged under Section 489C of the same Code.

Meanwhile, Judicial Commissioner Mohd Nordin Hassan fixed Aug 9 as the next mention date for a case of policewoman Kpl Jusninawati Abdul Gani, 35, who was accused of intentionally omitting information on terrorism acts at the Petaling Jaya police station between 2015 and March 22.

She was charged under Section 130M of the Code.

The other accused, Anuar Ab Rawi, 40, was charged with possessing items related to terrorism activities at Taman Manir Indah in Kampung Banggol Tuan Muda, Manir, in Kuala Terengganu at 8.48am on March 22.

Ex-MIC Youth leader cleared rubber plantation against court orders, claim settlers

While waiting for a court decision over his village’s land disputes with alleged owner Thamarai
Holdings company, Kampung Gatco settler John Cantius was shocked to find strangers entering his village area to clear the rubber trees in parts of the disputed 4,932-acre land in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan.

The settlers were so displeased with the incident that they included it as one of their demands to MIC in the memorandum handed yesterday (today) at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (today).

Accompanied by about 50 fellow settlers who held protest banners and placards, John alleged that “in March, 2015, the former Negeri Sembilan MIC Youth chief, M Thirunaukarasu, had trespassed into the plantation and chopped off about 500 acres of rubber estate land and brought out the trees and produce.”

“This is trespassing and theft because Thamarai Holdings has admitted it was not involved in timber production. So, who is this Thirunaukarasu? Not only did he chop and steal the trees, he brought ‘gangsters’ to attack the settlers, to hurt us, and used the police’s help to attack us when they were stealing,” John alleged.

“How can they enter? Because at the time, the case was still in discussion at court, and the court had declared that nobody can enter the plantation – it can’t be sold, can’t be bought, can’t be pawned, can’t be divided.

“So how did Thirunaukarasu enter? How did Thamarai Holdings allow the division of lands to state government? How can the state government give (settlement offerings) to settlers? It shows they are defying the court’s orders,” John said.

“We urge MIC to conduct a thorough investigation on Thirunakarausu, and take disciplinary action on him,” he added.

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Thirunaukarasu said: “They (settlers) failed to justify that the land is theirs in the previous 10 years (that the case has dragged on).

“I’ve got no right to get into their details, I’m not in a position to comment on behalf of Lotus or anybody” Thirunaukarasu added.

“I was there (at the place of the incident) as a contractor appointed by Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri, Negeri Sembilan (PKNNS). And I have all the documents to prove it.

“I was there to clear the land (and) surrender back to the PKNNS in order for replantation, because 1,206 acres were given by Lotus to the state government,” he said.

He also stressed that the incident had nothing to do with MIC, reiterating once again that he was there in his individual capacity as a contractor.

The other demands made in the Kampung Gatco settlers’ memorandum to MIC were:

• To ask MIC to intervene and ensure that eight acres of land (as was agreed upon in the original agreement in the 1970s) are given to every Gatco settler;
• To discuss with Thamarai Holdings Sdn Bhd so that the company would return the particular land rights to Gatco settlers (the settlers claimed the company had attained the rights unlawfully); and
• To discuss with the Negeri Sembilan government so that the rights of Gatco settlers are protected and they are given the right to their respective eight acres of land.

The memorandum also stated that MIC also needs to stress that the Negeri Sembilan government’s offer of between two and four acres of land to each Gatco settlers was unfair and the state government should abide by the Federal Court’s decision.

Rafizi reveals video in latest jet expose, expects lawsuit

For the third consecutive day, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli continued his expose on Rosmah Mansor using a private jet for a trip to Istanbul.

He revealed a two-minute video which purportedly showed Rosmah boarding the plane owned by Emirates Airline (Emirates) while her officers were carrying bags into the aircraft.

Speaking to reporters here, Rafizi questioned the number of officers who accompanied Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's wife on the trip as well as the contents of the bags.

Claiming that he had "lost count" of the number of bags, the Pandan lawmaker asked the reason for the bags not being placed in the designated luggage area.

"Since this is a private jet, it has ample space to store bags without affecting comfort onboard the jet. What's the use of renting a luxurious jet if it is full of luggage?" he queried.

"What's inside the bags? If they are full of clothes, are they so valuable that they can't be stored at the proper luggage area?" he added.

Rafizi, who has been sued by the prime minister and his wife previously, said he expected to be dragged to court again over his latest allegations.

"I will wait for the lawsuit, I'll see you in court," he added.

K KANGSAR POLLS For the third consecutive day, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli continued his expose on Rosmah Mansor using a private jet for a trip to Istanbul.

He revealed a two-minute video which purportedly showed Rosmah boarding the plane owned by Emirates Airline (Emirates) while her officers were carrying bags into the aircraft.

Speaking to reporters here, Rafizi questioned the number of officers who accompanied Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's wife on the trip as well as the contents of the bags.

Claiming that he had "lost count" of the number of bags, the Pandan lawmaker asked the reason for the bags not being placed in the designated luggage area.

"Since this is a private jet, it has ample space to store bags without affecting comfort onboard the jet. What's the use of renting a luxurious jet if it is full of luggage?" he queried.

"What's inside the bags? If they are full of clothes, are they so valuable that they can't be stored at the proper luggage area?" he added.

Rafizi, who has been sued by the prime minister and his wife previously, said he expected to be dragged to court again over his latest allegations.

"I will wait for the lawsuit, I'll see you in court," he added.

“She can sue me, (she) can say anything, but with social media, those are the questions that the public will ask after looking at the video."

Meanwhile, responding to Rosmah’s aide Rizal Mansor who said she did not live in the clouds for two months, Rafizi said the to-and-fro flight from Subang to Istanbul would have cost RM1.5 million.

“And this is only one trip, what if she had gone on 10 trips? Millions were still wasted in two months.

“If RM86 million is too much, then give us the (real) figure. I couldn't have plugged the figure out of thin air, my basis was on the fact that RM60,000 was spent per hour,” he said.

Rafizi on Wednesday revealed that Rosmah flew in the aircraft to Turkey to accept the 3G Children Welfare Award on behalf of early childhood programme Permata.

He had claimed that the two-month lease of the Airbus ACJ319 would cost the government approximately RM86.4 million.

Rizal however said that Rafizi had tried to give the impression that Rosmah had lived in the clouds for two months on the aircraft

Malaysiakini has contacted Rizal and is awaiting his response on Rafizi’s latest expose.

NGOs: AG must explain ignoring rulers in leap toward dictatorship

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali must explain the reason for ignoring concerns raised by the rulers over the National Security Council (NSC) Bill, said a coalition of NGOs.

This was after the legislation was gazetted as law on Tuesday without royal assent.

"The attorney-general had confirmed there were no amendments to the bill despite promising scrutiny of some provisions after his meeting with the rulers in February.

"It is now incumbent on the attorney-general to disclose if any provisions were scrutinised at all and the reasons why no amendments were made nevertheless," said #TakNakDiktator representative Ambiga Sreenevasan in a media statement today.

On Feb 17, the Conference of Rulers asked that the NSC Bill, which would give the National Security Council headed by the prime minister emergency-like powers, to be refined.

However, according to the national gazette, the NSC Bill was automatically assented the following day on Feb 18 under Article 66(4A) of the Federal Constitution.

The provision granted automatic assent to any legislation if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong does not provide his assent within 30 days from when the legislation is presented to him.

"Whilst this is constitutionally permissible, serious questions arise as to why the government acted so hastily and in defiance of the concerns raised by the Conference of Rulers particularly as the bill directly impinges on the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"More so, as they have acted in complete disregard of the valid concerns raised by the public with regard to the ramifications of this act," said Ambiga.

'A leap towards dictatorship'

Ambiga said Putrajaya's move to ignore the Conference of Rulers' concerns should trigger alarm bells.

"In this exercise, this government has behaved as if they are accountable to no one, neither the rulers nor the people.

"The fact that there were no amendments to the bill is proof of this. If this is not a dictatorship, then what is?" she said.

She warned that the NSC Act represented an extremely dangerous step for Malaysia as it concentrated extraordinary powers in the hands of the prime minister and NSC.

"No person or entity should have such absolute and unfettered powers. Concentration of power leads to abuse, particularly in times of political crisis.

"The NSC law represents a leap towards a dictatorship and a military-police state with little or no safeguards," she said.

She added that the law was unconstitutional and a grave abuse of power.

"Malaysia does not need such a law which goes against all principles of democracy and undermines the rule of law in the country," she said.

The #TakNakDiktator coalition comprises Amnesty International Malaysia, Bersih, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, National Human Rights Society, Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (Ikram), Institut Rakyat, Lawyers for Liberty, Society for the Promotion of Human Rights and Suaram.

Jobless man gets 14 months jail for exposing self to woman teacher

Programmer who last month alleged he sold 900,000 signatures to the Save Malaysia Movement, has now penned a second SD retracting his first one.

PETALING JAYA: The programmer who last month alleged fraud in the Citizens’ Declaration petition is now singing a different tune.

Azharuddin Othman has purportedly made a second Statutory Declaration (SD) retracting his first one (which alleged the fraud), citing “mistakes” in the latter, a report in news portal Malaysiakini said.

In the original SD, Azharuddin had alleged that he sold a database of 900,000 names to Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah aka Ratu Naga, to be provided to the Citizens’ Declaration.

The latest SD is being circulated in several Facebook pages, such as Otai Bersih and Kelab Mukhriz Mahathir, said the report.

He said he signed the new document to avoid legal action, and that it was done willingly and without coercion.

“I would like to state that I do not know the person known as Ema (Ratu Naga) and never had any dealings with her.

“Before this, I was hired to hold a press conference based on the text given by the person who hired me, which is Badrul Hisham Shaharin (Chegubard),” he said. The SD bore a commissioner of oath’s stamp based in the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, said the report.

The portal contacted Badrul Hisham, who claimed the new SD was fake.

“You guys seem to be happy spreading false SDs,” he commented on the two Facebook pages which ran the post.

He also told Malaysiakini the new SD was “slander by (former premier Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad)’s team.” He is also expected to hold a press conference on the matter tomorrow.

Johor sultan can pardon crown prince's critic, say lawyers

The Johor sultan has the power to pardon the teenager who was sentenced to jail for making rude remarks about Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, according to lawyers.

The power to pardon is provided under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, which states that the ruler of a state "has power to grant pardons, reprieves and respites in respect of all other offences committed in his state", they said.

"In light of Tunku Ismail's previous statement, it is apt that this case be considered for pardon," lawyer Eric Paulsen told Malaysiakini today.

Paulsen was referring to the crown prince's request that the police not arrest his critics and instead let them "say what they want to say" to his face.

Muhammad Amirul Azwan Mohd Shakri, 19, was on Tuesday sentenced to a year in jail by a Sessions Court in Johor Baru, after he pleaded guilty to 14 counts of making insulting comments with the intent to offend the Johor royalty.

This prompted civil societies and human rights lawyers to question why the teenager was given the maximum sentence and was not represented.

Lawyer New Sin Yew told Malaysiakini that while the Johor sultan could pardon Amirul, the teenager did not need to seek pardon right now.

"There's no need to seek pardon at this juncture. The boy can still appeal against the sentence.

"The Sessions Court judge was clearly wrong in his sentencing," he said.

Usually, New added, people only sought pardon when all avenues of appeal had been exhausted.

However, Paulsen said he did not think Article 42 of the Federal Constitution prevented an indivudual from applying for pardon even if he or she had not exhausted all appeals.

"Of course, the power of pardon is exercisable on advice of the Pardons Board, which may require exhaustion of appeal," he said.

Amirul was sentenced to jail for making the insulting comments on Facebook between March and April this year under the pseudonym 'Miyo Castello'.

At least three people have been arrested in the last two weeks for allegedly posting rude remarks against the crown prince.

Noh Omar flays DAP for disrespecting Amanah

SG BESAR POLLS Putting up inflammatory billboards without Amanah's approval shows that DAP doesn't respect anyone, said Selangor BN chief Noh Omar.

"If there was no permission from Amanah, this shows that DAP never respected Amanah and will do as they please.

"Maybe DAP thinks PAS and Amanah are the same. DAP never respected PAS and now it's proven they don't respect Amanah," Noh told Malaysiakini after attending an event in Sungai Besar today.

He was commenting on the billboards bearing Amanah's logo that DAP had put up in Sekinchan yesterday, which attacked BN, PAS and Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos.

The billboards, which among others bore a quote by Jamal saying it was not wrong to say 'Cina babi' (Chinese pigs) caused a stir and was promptly taken down by the Election Commission.

Noh said besides disrespecting Amanah, the billboards clearly showed that DAP was a racist party.

"DAP wants to create provocation, and play racist sentiments in this by-election. "

Selangor DAP chief Tony Pua had defended the banners, saying these were issues they wanted to highlight.

Amanah communications chief Khalid Samad however said he has sorted it out with DAP, and that they would not put up any more provocative billboards.

Amamah is facing both BN and PAS in three-cornered fights for the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat, as well as in Kuala Kangsar.

Both constituencies will go to the polls on June 18.

WSJ issues correction, says 1MDB bond funds went to Switzerland

The Wall Street Journal has issued a correction, stating that the US$3 billion bond fund Goldman Sachs raised for 1MDB went to BSI Bank in Switzerland and not Singapore as initially reported.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc wired US$3 billion in proceeds from a March 2013 bond issued by Malaysia’s 1MDB to the state fund’s account in Switzerland at BSI SA, according to a person familiar with the matter.

"An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the money was sent to 1MDB’s account at the private bank’s Singapore branch," said the WSJ in a footnote to the original article published on June 7.

The WSJ issued the correction after the Monetary Authority of Singapore denied that 1MDB's bond funds was transferred into banks in the city state.

The prime minister's aide Tengku Shariffuddin Tengku Ahmad had yesterday jumped on the mistake, accusing the publication of lying and trying to destablise the Malaysian government.

“By presenting the unverified lies of the government’s opponents as facts, the WSJ has become their willing tool – in their openly declared campaign to unseat a democratically elected government, using 1MDB as an excuse.

“It should be investigated why the WSJ is publishing so many proven lies about one country, and why an international newspaper is taking sides in Malaysia’s internal affairs,” he had said.

However, the WSJ stood by the allegation that part of the US$3 billion sent to Switzerland (and not Singapore) ended up in offshore accounts that eventually landed in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's personal bank accounts.

The report, titled 'Goldman probed over Malaysia fund 1MDB', said the bank was being investigated if it broke any laws in its dealings with 1MDB.

The WSJ had in July last year revealed that US$681 million (then RM2.6 billion) entered Najib's personal bank accounts from an offshore entity called Tanore Finance.

Najib later admitted to receiving the funds but claimed that it was an Arab "donation".

He denied taking government funds for personal gain.

Australia-based ABC News in March later revealed that the total sum entering Najib's personal bank accounts from multiple sources amounted to over US$1 billion (RM4.2 billion).

Malaysian attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali accepted the explanation that the funds were a "donation" and cleared Najib of wrongdoing.

Apandi also cleared Najib of receiving multi-million ringgit transfers from state-owned SRC International on grounds that he was unaware about the deposits.

U.S. returns $100 million of stolen artifacts to India

(CNN)It's taken a while, but India is finally welcoming home some long-lost national treasures.

The U.S. has handed back more than 200 ancient artifacts, valued at more than $100 million, that were stolen from religious sites in India and smuggled out of the country.

The artifacts included religious statues, bronzes and terracotta pieces, some of them dating back more than 2,000 years. They were returned to the Indian government Monday at a Washington, D.C. ceremony attended by U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"On behalf of President Obama, it is my great privilege to return these marvelous objects to the people of India," Lynch said.

Most of the pieces were seized during Operation Hidden Idol, an investigation that began in 2007 after Homeland Security special agents received a tip about a shipment of seven crates destined for the United States and labeled as "marble garden table sets."

Examination of the shipment in question revealed numerous antiquities. The shipment was imported by Subhash Kapoor, owner of Art of the Past Gallery in New York. The investigation found that Kapoor allegedly created false provenances to disguise the histories of his illicit antiquities, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Kapoor was arrested in 2012 and currently awaits trial in India.

The stolen treasures were recovered as a result of a massive collaborative effort between U.S. customs officials, New York and federal prosecutors, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs.

"Today, more than 200 antiquities and cultural artifacts that speak to India's astounding history and beautiful culture are beginning their journey home, where they can be studied and reflected upon for generations to come," Lynch added.

"It is my hope -- and the hope of the American people -- that this repatriation will serve as a sign of our great respect for India's culture."

Prime Minister Modi thanked the U.S. for returning the national treasures to their rightful home.

Among the pieces is a statue of Saint Manikkavacakar, a Hindu mystic and poet from the Chola period (circa 850 AD to 1250 AD), that was stolen from the Sivan Temple in Chennai, India. It's valued at $1.5 million. Another is a bronze sculpture of Hindu god Ganesha, which is estimated to be 1,000 years old.

Since 2007 the U.S. has returned more than 8,000 stolen artifacts to 30 countries, including paintings from France, Germany, Poland and Austria; 15th to 18th century manuscripts from Italy and Peru; and cultural artifacts from China, Cambodia and Iraq.

Here are pictures of some of the artefacts. pic.twitter.com/Q4PWMOee2X

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 7, 2016

Dr M to speak at DAP's 1MDB events at twin polls

The last time Dr Mahathir Mohamad hit the campaign trail was during the 2013 general election, where he, among others, went to Gelang Patah in Johor to urge voters to place DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang’s political career six feet under.

Much has changed since then.

Now, the former premier is set to make his first appearance in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections at DAP-organised events over the weekend.

Mahathir is slated to deliver the keynote address at a special colloquium on 1MDB and the multi-billion ringgit deposits in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's bank accounts.

Announcing this, DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua said the two-day event is titled: "Special Colloquium: 1MDB & Najib's Donation: The Straw that Breaks the Camel's Back?"

"In conjunction with the twin by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar, DAP is organising a special two-day colloquium to discuss the impact and implications of the RM55 billion 1MDB and Najib’s mysterious US$1 billion ‘donation’ scandals.

"Mahathir has kindly agreed to deliver the keynote opening address of the colloquium in both Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar,” he added in a media statement.

Lim would be closing both sessions.

Mahathir had said he is prepared to speak during the by-elections on the Citizens' Declaration platform if any party was willing to organise such an event.

To date, he has yet to make an appearance.

Pua said the event would be held at Dewan Restoran Hao Xiang Chi in Sungai Besar and Dewan Restoran Chun Ji in Kuala Kangsar concurrently beginning at 9.30am until 2pm on June 11 and 12.

He said the events would discuss whether the scandals were merely a storm in the teacup as claimed by Najib's supporters or would ultimately be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

"The by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar will also measure the people's endorsement of Najib's involvement in the 1MDB’s global financial scandal which has already brought down a 143-year-old Swiss BSI Bank," he said.

He said the speakers for Sungai Besar include Cynthia Gabriel, Abdul Aziz Bari, Dzulkefly Ahmad, P Gunasegaram, Zaid Ibrahim, Clare Rewcastle Brown (via skype) and Pua himself while the panellists in Kuala Kangsar include Ambiga Sreenevasan, Husam Musa, A Kadir Jasin, Maria Chin Abdullah, Nga Kor Ming and Khalid Samad.

The event would be conducted in both Malay and English.

Najib has denied abusing public funds for personal gain, and blamed such allegations on Mahathir and those in cahoots with the former premier to engineer his downfall.

Rosmah used private jet to receive award in Istanbul, claims Rafizi

In his latest exposé, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli claimed that Rosmah Mansor had used a private jet to attend an event in Istanbul.

On May 27, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s wife received the 3G Children Welfare Award on behalf of Permata and this was reported by the mainstream media.

However, Rafizi said how she went there was not mentioned in these reports.

“I can confirm that she had used a private jet - an Airbus A-319 – owned by Emirates Airline (Emirates),” he alleged during a press conference in Kuala Kangsar this afternoon.

Rafizi had used phone application 'Plane Finder' to trace the jet's flight path.

Furnishing screen captures of the flight paths, he said the jet had departed to Subang from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 23 before returning to the UAE from Subang two days later.

The jet then departed for Istanbul from the UAE on May 25.

Although the dates were stated otherwise, Rafizi reminded that the dates were in accordance to where the jet was at the time as opposed to local Malaysian time.

According to Emirates Airlines' website, its versions of the twin-engined aircraft can carry up to 19 passengers, and sleeps up to 15.

It features 10 private suites with a 32" TV in each room, as well as a lounge area.
The jet, Rafizi claimed, was chartered and leased especially for the particular trip.

Since Rosmah received the award on behalf of Permata which is a public-funded project, he said it was therefore only fair to ask who paid for the flight.

“She has to answer this since she was the one who took the flight and Najib too has to answer because he has to be responsible for this,” he added.

The PKR vice-president also questioned why Rosmah did not use a commercial flight for her trip to Istanbul.

“Even if she took a first-class flight, I’m sure it would be much cheaper than renting a whole private jet,” he pointed out.

Apart from who was responsible for paying for the flight, Rafizi also wanted to know the identity of the person who made the reservations.

“Also, why was Rosmah, a member of the public, given the leeway to use the Subang airport which is a military base - it's not like she’s going to war,” he said.

Rafizi, meanwhile, confirmed that he would make daily exposé on the matter until Friday.

“The prime minister, Rosmah, BN’s candidate Mastura (Mohd Yazid) and PAS candidate (Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad) can keep quiet on the matter, but the more you try to avoid this issue, the more voters can see your (lack of) honesty in defending their rights,” he said.

The vocal parliamentarian also expressed hope for PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s feedback on the matter.

“I want an open public rebuke from Hadi against our prime minister for failing to guide his own wife.

“This will also be the acid test - which party will be brave to stand up to defend the rakyat’s rights,” he said.

Therefore, he said voters should be in a position to gauge which party was the most vocal and sincere in fighting for the rakyat.

“I hope voters in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar will be convinced that Amanah and Pakatan Harapan are the most sincere in fighting for them," he added.

This is not the first time that Rosmah has been criticised for using a private jet for visits abroad.

She allegedly used a government jet to also received an award in Padang, Indonesia in 2014.

Rosmah had, however, defended her use of private jets, saying they were for work and not leisure.

Malaysiakini has contacted Rosmah’s aide Rizal Mansor for comment on this allegation.

Two visitors with conflicting visions

By Lim Teck Ghee

Recently we had two distinguished Muslim visitors to our shores. The first, Zakir Naik, is a preacher and founder of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) who gives talks on Islam and compares it with other world religions to showcase its merits, relevance and answer to all the problems of society.

His forte appears to lie in his photographic memory of the Quran and Hadith literature, and his espousal of the superiority of Islam over other religions as well as his critical anti-western views which has made him popular with Muslims all round the world. On his second tour of the country in April this year, he apparently received a rapturous reception in his public lectures.

Both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister had meetings with him. Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister of Home Affairs and responsible for the country's security, defended or chose to ignore the preacher's controversial views - which included a call made during a 2006 lecture for "every Muslim to be a terrorist" - and described him as a "very wise man".

The second visitor, Abdullahi An-Na'im, is a Professor of Law from Emory University, Georgia, USA, and internationally recognised as a scholar of Islam and advocate of human rights. He is the author of 'Islam and the Secular State' which has been translated into various languages.

Media coverage of his talks gives the impression that this, more academically qualified and more distinguished, scholar was only able to attract a small audience. His smaller following among Malaysian Muslims - and the failure of any prominent member of the Government to meet with him - indicates that both the country's Muslim community and the Government have little time for him or his reformist views.

As an example of his position on contentious issues, the distinguished professor has argued that Muslims have no religious obligation to support hudud law as it was not mentioned in the Quran. He has also pointed out that more than 40 member countries of the United Nations with predominantly Muslim majority population do not implement hudud in their legal system.

“Where is the hudud among all these Muslims? Why is it a priority in this country (Malaysia) when it has not been a priority in the vast Muslim majority countries?" he has asked.

In contrast, Zakir who has been labelled as "perhaps the most influential Salafi ideologue in India" is more extreme and conservative in his views on Islam, its stance on human rights, religious freedom, the secular state and a host of other issues. He has also been very vocal on what he would like to see for the political development of Malaysia.

According to him, a coalition government of Umno and PAS will be better for Malaysia as it will propel the country forward and strengthen Islam.

“I’m not saying that both parties (Umno and PAS) should make it as one party, but if they can make it, Alhamdulillah...(if not) you can keep your party, you can keep your identity, but when you have a coalition government, it should be a coalition of the Muslims.”

Putrajaya and Muslim masses' response

What explains the difference in Putrajaya's treatment of the two visitors is obvious. Together with other recent measures aimed at appealing to its Malay voters base, Umno is clearly stretching the boundaries of previous political acceptability and tolerance arising from its dominance within the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition, by using religion to shore up its political position.

But this alone does not explain the response of the larger Muslim community to the two visitors and the messages that they are articulating.

That message espoused by Abdullahi An-Na'im is a more humanistic and intellectually more rational and defensible Islam in keeping with the country's traditionally moderate Islamic values and mores. One would have expected a more enthusiastic response to it as compared with the more radical and hard line version propagated by Zakir Naik.

Why is it that these two visitors and their messages are resonating differently with the Malay Muslim masses is a crucial question to ask. A later article will attempt to answer this question.

For now, it will be useful to reproduce the concerns of Dr Azhar Ibrahim, in the conclusion of his article, "Secularism as Imagined in the Malay-Indonesian World: Resistance and its Muted Counter Responses in the Discursive and Public Realms”, published just a few days ago.

Most importantly, the timidity to scrutinise the very idea of secularism as commonly perceived, at both elite and public level, would mean that important concepts and ideas are considered outside the realm of discourse for Muslims to engage, grapple and contest. A critical and confident progressive Muslim discourse in scrutinising and engaging the Islamists’ anti-secularism rhetoric is therefore imperative. To remain silent and ambivalent about this issue will be naïve; if not tragic.

It is therefore not too far-fetched to say that anti-secularism sentiments are disruptive to a healthy development of democracy, human rights and civil liberties. It is not simply Muslims’ responses against the effects of modernity – deemed as secular – but an exclusivists’ response that insist on their supposedly authentic Islamic model, be it in the realms of politics, culture, education, social and economy. Loaded and justified with religious sanctions, often made in absolute terms, there will be hardly any space for other paradigms or models to be appropriated. In such a situation only the Islamists position stands. The very attack on the imagined secularism eventually will have deep consequences on democracy, human and legal rights, civil liberties, plurality and the like.

(Disclaimer: The opinions and comments expressed by the writers are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of The Heat Malaysia.)

Netherlands: Muslims attack non-hijabbed Muslima as “infidel whore”

A tremendous amount of social control is often exercised in Muslim communities to ensure Sharia compliance. Ostracism and brutalization and worse all too often await those Muslims who don’t go to mosque or abide by Sharia norms. This is a key reason why we don’t see larger numbers of Muslims backing up their pro-forma condemnations of jihad violence with genuine action against jihad terror: those who stand up against the dominant views are risking losing their families, their communities, and even their lives.

“Tunisian discriminated against by fellow Muslims,” a translation of “Tunesische gediscrimineerd door mede-moslims,” by Istvan Kovi, AD.nl, June 3, 2016 (thanks to Susan):

Muslim parents berate the integrated Tunisian Radia Laabidi, 38, regularly as “infidel and unclean.” The Amersfoort mother experiences this in the schoolyard. “I do not wear headscarves, but a skirt, and do not go to the mosque. So some may consider you an infidel whore.”

Laabidi believes that her children have been for some time a target of discrimination from other Muslims in their primary school in Amersfoort. A liberal Muslim woman, she was scolded recently at the school and even attacked. “She called to me and ran her nails across my face.” Radia defended himself fiercely. The brawl, in the sight of many children and parents, was ended by single fathers. Several parents witnessed and confirmed Radia’s account of events….

Shrink: Murder accused saw suicide as way for him and victim to be reborn as lovers

GEORGE TOWN: An engineer allegedly killed his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day three years ago and tried to commit suicide, so that he could be reunited with her in heaven, a High Court here heard.

Psychiatrist Dr Kelvin Lee, 40, from the Bukit Mertajam Hospital, said Cheong Teik Keon, 34, had allegedly stabbed his girlfriend three times and himself four times.

“His judgment was distorted. He may have felt that it was wrong but he did not care about the consequences.

“In his severe depressed state, he had a ‘romantic and idealistic’ idea that they will be reborn in heaven as lovers,” Dr Lee said in his evidence during examination-in-chief by DPP Lim Cheah Yit yesterday.

He was testifying in the trial of Cheong, who is alleged to have stabbed clerk Tan Ching Chin, 24, to death at her family home in Taman Hwa Seng in Alma, Bukit Mertajam, at 8.40am on Feb 14, 2013.

The offence under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

Dr Lee earlier told the court that Cheong was referred to him on Feb 18, 2013 for assessment following an alleged suicide attempt.

During cross examination by defence counsel Ramkarpal Singh, Dr Lee said there was a chance Cheong may have a relapse of depression if he was taken off his medication.

When re-examined, Dr Lee said Cheong was partially sane at the time of his assessment because he was aware of the incident.

“There was no psychotic or dissociative episode like him forgetting that the incident happened,” he said.

Judicial Commissioner Collin Lawrence Sequerah fixed June 16 for oral submissions.

Relative says all hostages freed by Abu Sayyaf

SIBU: A relative of two of the hostages held by Abu Sayyaf confirmed that all the four Sarawakians kidnapped by the group on April 1 have been freed and are on their way to Sabah.

“I was told that the four of them are in good health. Their family members are now in Sandakan waiting to receive them," she said.

It was earlier reported that brothers Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Wong Teck Chii, 29, their cousin, Johnny Lau Jung Hien,21 and Wong Hung Sing, 34, were released by Abu Sayyaf late Tuesday.

They were seized from their tugboat which was on its way to Sarawak from the Philippines.

The Abu Sayyaf had demanded a ransom of RM18mil for their release.

Waytha: BN component parties telling people a “half-truth” on hudud

The Hindraf Chief urges voters in the two parliamentary constituencies not be misled by the BN component parties trying to cover up their failings in the run-up to the June 18 by-elections.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: A human rights advocate has expressed dismay that Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties were telling the people a “half-truth” on hudud in the run-up to the June 18 by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar. “It’s not true to continue to claim that hudud will be imposed only on Muslims in Kelantan,” said Hindraf Makkal Sakthi Chairman P. Waythamoorthy who was born in Kelantan. “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

“The people should not fall for such claims.”

Waytha, a senior lawyer in private practice who was in the Federal Cabinet briefly after GE13 and in the Senate, stressed in a telephone interview that he doesn’t want to get into the constitutional arguments against hudud for now. “My focus for now is on the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections at the people-oriented level.”

He urged voters in the two parliamentary constituencies not be misled by the BN component parties trying to cover up their failings in the run-up to the June 18 by-elections. It would be a mistake to take things for granted, he warned. “Non-Muslims in particular cannot accept candidates and political parties who push for hudud.”

“We must respect and uphold the Federal Constitution. There’s no place for hudud in the Federal Constitution. We can’t also make Allah exclusive to Muslims or seize Christian literature in Bahasa Malaysia.”

“Islamisation”, even before hudud, has been the bane of society in Malaysia, pointed out Waytha. “This has been true even in Sabah and Sarawak which have no religion in their constitutions, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), 20 Points, 18 Points, Batu Sumpah and the constitutional documents on Malaysia.”

He recalled that no non-Muslim has been Governor of Sabah and Sarawak since 1963 and “if possible no non-Muslim in the two Borneo nations will be allowed to be Chief Minister in their own homelands”. He referred to PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang declaring recently, in the run-up to the May 7 state election in Sarawak, that the Chief Ministers of Sabah and Sarawak must be Muslim.

He reminded that Kelantan was the first state to ban female hairdressers, whether Muslim or otherwise, from attending to male clients, and to make separate lanes for male and female shoppers at supermarkets. “There are separate trolleys for halal and non-halal purchases and separate payment counters.”

Outside Kelantan, said the Hindraf Chief, government departments have barred the entry of female members of the public for wearing skirts which stop above the knees. “This is the tip of the iceberg.”

“Non-Muslims are being told not to eat in public, or even eat in the toilet, during Ramadan as Muslims are fasting. This is supposed to be ‘out of respect’ for Muslims and taking into account their ‘feelings’. What about respect for non-Muslims and their feelings?”

In Sabah and Sarawak, he continued, non-Muslims were told by the National Registration Department (NRD) to get a declaration from the Shariah Court if they want to leave Islam and have that fact stated in their MyKads. “These are not Muslims but people who were mistakenly labeled as Islam in their MyKads just because they had a bin in their name or had ‘Muslim’-sounding names.”

“In Sabah and Sarawak, many Orang Asal use bin in their names. Jeffrey Kitingan himself has a bin in his name. The NRD daren’t wag its tail with him. It bullies the poor kampung folks.”

Curiously, noted Waytha, many Muslims in Sabah who have “Christian” names have Islam in their MyKads. “Going by the logic of the NRD in dealing with non-Muslims who have bin in their names, these Muslims who have ‘Christian’ names should not have Islam in their MyKads. It’s a heads I win, tails you lose approach at the NRD.”

The man with a long keris

“Every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.”

- Arthur Schopenhauer, ‘Essays and Aphorisms’

I have no idea what goes on in PAS these days. I do not think even PAS members know what is going on in PAS these days. Long-time members who consider me a friend (as I them) tell me that there this strong whiff of “nyanyuk” going on in the PAS leadership council.

PAS friends of mine were sniggering when party leader Abdul Hadi Awang cut that cake in the form of a PAS flag because to them it symbolised the balkanisation of PAS. Members carving out little fiefdoms or sultanates if one is so inclined, with Amanah the big orange elephant in the room.

Meanwhile, PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad said, “If our delegates came wearing shorts, our women came without wearing the headscarves, our leaders shaking hands between men and women, only then PAS can be accused of being deviant,” which just goes to show you that only PAS could describe normal behaviour as “deviant” within their ethos. This was the ‘PAS for all’ that we were told would usher in a new Malaysian dawn? I bet the vice-president thinks he has a long keris too.

Only in the mind of a Malay supremacist would a weapon (keris) be used as an ornament to liven up the political landscape. The keris is a dog whistle for non-Malays who understand the agenda behind those waving it around. When was the last time the keris was extended as a symbol of good faith?

Just recently non-Malays were reminded of Malay supremacy during the Red Shirt rally where our prime minster said, “Malays too can show that we can still rise up, rise up when our dignity is challenged; rise up when our leaders are insulted, ridiculed, embarrassed. Malays say enough, let no one repeat evil acts like that again.”

I wonder if he was talking about The Wall Street Journal. Or the numerous other Western publications that are mocking his regime and his lame responses to the barrage of revelations coming his way. But alas the defence of Malay dignity is confined to scaring the non-Malays, well the Chinese actually, rather than defending the office of the Malaysian prime minster overseas. Malay supremacy is local, I guess.

Look at the pictures from that rally and you would see politicians dressed to the nines in ‘Malay Warrior’ costumes. It would not surprise me if there are a few displays of the keris, too. I am sure most of the participants there believed they had long keris, too.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Najib’s nemesis, remarked that the length of the keris is in proportion to displays of nationalism. Understandable. There is this Umno or Malay supremacist perception that waving a long keris about trumps responsible leadership. PAS now in bed with Umno may have caught something, which is why some PAS members feel compelled to act like Umno members.

The former prime minister also offered up his unique take on Islamic justice. The Umno strongman (most people dismiss him as a former strongman or that Najib has him on the ropes but I think differently) said when addressing the manufactured hudud controversy, "Is that (duality of punishment) justice? I don't think you will say it is justice. Justice can only be achieved if the punishment is the same for both. In this case, the punishments are different, they are not just, and therefore not Islamic."

More money stolen through corruption

Would it be true Islamic justice if it was a Malay man and another Malay man who did the hypothetical robbing? Let us assume that Malaysia was not a multiethnic/religious country. Would it be just to cut off a man’s hand for committing theft? By the way, what is the punishment if a man commits rape? Some kind of dismemberment one hopes.

Furthermore, what of our dual system of justice when it comes to Muslims and non-Muslims with regard to the syariah system of justice here in Malaysia? Surely, laws are not solely about punishments and why should certain aspects of Malay life be determined by Islamic jurisprudence?

This dual legal system has caused so many problems when it comes to the social and religious lives of Malaysians. And to be perfectly clear it is not the fault of the non-Muslims although certain non-Muslims have maliciously taken advantage of the system, especially in conversion cases.

A million, maybe even billions of ringgit, has been spent pushing the Islamic agenda and what has it done for the majority of the Malay community? Has it broadened their minds? Has it facilitated a sense of belonging between the various communities here in Malaysia? As the “religion of the federation”, has it proven effective is forming a sense of national identity?

No, what it has done is produced a UiTM lecturer who offers us these words of wisdom, “I don't trust females, because we believe men should lead women. They are not even the head in families, so how can they lead bigger things," and gentle readers, who do you think he means by “we”?

Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria said, “Do you want your money stolen? Of course you don't, that's why you put up grills and alarms. In Islam, we don't have to do this; those who steal will face the music.”

Except more money is stolen through corruption than people breaking into houses. More money is stolen from the coffers of religious organisations. More money is stolen through government agencies. Yet nobody, certainly not from PAS, is interested in chopping off Malay/Muslim hands that have been pilfering from federal and state coffers.

Perhaps if Muslims from PAS do not like their wives and daughters harassed, maybe they should start a curfew for Muslim men (because they are the ones subject to hudud) instead of being obsessed with the attire and behaviour of their women.

However, all this is a show. A farce concocted by craven politicians in Putrajaya, enabled by opportunistic politicians from across the political divide, dressed up as serious political theatre. As one Umno insider told me, “Do you really think that hudud is going to happen here in Malaysia?” She continues, “Hudud and Hadi are convenient fillers to break the news cycle. Nobody takes them seriously. How could anyone take them seriously?”

The problem is that the world is littered with Islamic regimes formed by groups that existing power structures did not take seriously.

At the end of the day, never trust any man who wields a long keris.

S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy



Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/344314#ixzz4AyGV65CN

Johor crown prince urged to intervene in critic's jailing

Student group Challenger has pleaded for Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to intervene in the jailing of Muhammad Amirul Azwan Mohd Shakri.

The 19-year-old is currently serving a one-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to 14 counts of intentionally insulting the crown prince.

He was charged and sentenced under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

In an open letter today, Challenger spokesperson Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahmad urged Tunku Ismail to show magnanimity.

“We seek your assent to forgive Muhammad Amirul and do everything in your power to secure his freedom, such as by pardoning him or lobbying against Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

“We seek your assent to prove to Malaysians once again you are a leader who does as he preaches.

“We seek your assent to once again show an example to Malaysian leaders by being the bigger and better person,” the letter said.

Syed Saddiq said the group did not deny Muhammad Amirul's actions were unwarranted.

But freedom of speech should not be restricted simply because it was considered offensive, he said.

Challenger also praised Tunku Ismail for having previously defended his critics and for urging the police not to arrest them.

The past few weeks have seen a spate of arrests and prosecution, with action being taken against at least four people for posting comments critical of Tunku Ismail on social media.

Muhammad Amirul, a labourer, was arrested on April 28 and sentenced to jail yesterday.

On May 31, police boarded a fishing boat at sea to arrest a 46-year-old who supposedly went by the Facebook handle ‘Minah Pendek’.

Just three days prior, police arrested a 23-year-old assistant chef in Dengkil over comments he allegedly posted on Facebook that disparaged Tunku Ismail.

On May 26, Pahang football fan Masyhur Abdullah, 29, was remanded to facilitate investigations into an image he allegedly posted under the Twitter handle @thekeluangman.

Many of the allegedly offensive remarks are believed to pertain to football, as Tunku Ismail is the owner of the Johor Darul Takzim football club.

All of them had either been investigated or charged under Section 233, which criminalises the ‘improper use’ of network facilities with the intent of annoying, abusing, or threatening another person.

Various rights groups and lawyers have criticised the law as being too broad.

Police action came despite Tunku Ismail’s statement on May 30 urging the police not to arrest his critics, but instead arrange face-to-face meetings with him.

“I would prefer it if the authorities can organise a meeting for me to meet with these people and give them the privilege of saying what they want to say to my face, man to man.

“I would appreciate it if you can agree to my humble proposal,” he said in a Facebook post.

Mouths stuffed with 'animal feed' cannot voice dissent: Dr M's diagnosis

Apart from one or two dissenting voices, Umno has been supportive of its president Najib Abdul Razak in the face of numerous allegations against him.

And Dr Mahathir Mohamad has diagnosed the problem.

According to him, Umno members are stuffed with "animal feed (dedak)" and this in turn made them silent.

"It is said that animal feed was stuffed into the mouths of party members to keep them silent.

"There are even party members who admitted to receiving as much as RM1 million and RM2 million to shut their mouths about the crime that is clearly happening.

"They will just agree to everything," Mahathir said in his latest blog post.

The term "dedak" is often used to refer to people who have received benefits from certain quarters and have therefore become compliant to them.

Mahathir said it is for the same reason that a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister cannot be put into motion.

"Normally, when a leader abuses power, the Federal Constitution gives MPs the right to a no-confidence vote in the House.

"But because of animal feed and various pressures, no Umno and BN MPs, apart two from Umno, would dare to support a no-confidence vote if it is tabled," he said.

Mahathir claimed that Umno division leaders were also silent after seeing other leaders being arrested and charged after questioning the prime minister.

Likewise, he said Umno branch leaders were also sacked for critcising Najib.

"Regardless of Najib's wrongdoings, regardless that billions in government funds had gone missing, regardless of Najib suddenly possessing billions in his personal bank accounts which the source cannot be explained, BN MPs and Umno division leaders remained silent," he said.

Mahahir also lamented the loss of freedom of speech under Najib's government, claiming that the people's right to speak was under siege.

"The print and electronic media is fully controlled by Najib and no longer report the truth.

"Information is twisted that they do no reflect the real facts. Attempts are made to block the alternative media," he said.

Mahathir had accused Najib of corruption over the deposits of billions in his personal bank accounts, claiming that it is linked to state-owned 1MDB.

However, the prime minister denied this, and stressed that he had never taken public funds for personal gain.

He said the money in his personal bank accounts was an Arab "donation".

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has also cleared the prime minister of any wrongdoing.

‘Najib’s removal will have domino effect’

DAP national vice-chair M Kulasegaran, while canvassing signatures for the Citizens’ Declaration in Ipoh over the weekend, said it was incorrect to view the document as focused on the removal of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak without emphasis on institutional reform.

Campaigning for signatories to the declaration in thoroughfares in the city, Kulasegaran said the drive to remove the PM for gross negligence in financial and political matters was not personality-focused but issue-driven.

“True, the document urges the removal of the PM but seeing it as a move to replace one bad leader with another from the same mould is oversimplification,” remarked the MP for Ipoh Barat.

“Najib’s removal will have a domino effect because those complicit in his misdeeds or in the cover-up will have to yield to popular pressure to go once the head honcho goes,” opined the lawyer-legislator.

Citing another instance which he said reflected an identical narrowness of outlook, Kulasegaran said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s criticism of DAP as having interfered in Islamic matters by its opposition to hudud is “tunnel-visioned”.

“He doesn’t stop to consider that the measure he proposes has grave implications for the principles and postulates enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” he remarked.

“Our concern is with these implications. DAP legislators would remiss in their parliamentary duty if they did not take heed of them.

“For the top leader of a major political party to say that the DAP is interfering in Islam by opposing hudud is to mistake the forest for the trees,” asserted M Kula.

He said the DAP has to comment on Hadi’s Bill on hudud by way of pointing out what the thrust of the bill bodes for sacred tenets of civil society such as equality of citizens before the law, gender equality and avoidance of cruel and unjust punishments.

“That Hadi doesn’t seem to understand the implications of his bill for such principles and postulates of democratic and civil society is astonishing,” commented Kulasegaran.