Interfaith council: No one is questioning Islam
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Islam, Religion on Saturday, 7 May 2011, 1:46 pm
Malaysiakini
May 6, 2011
A religious council has rubbished allegations that the position of Islam in the country is “under siege”.
Saying that they are “concerned”, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) is amazed by the remarks made by the Coalition of Muslim Organisations (Pembela) earlier this week.
“How could lslam’s position be under siege when all public institutions and other organs of government are under the control of Muslims?” asked coalition president Reverend Dr Thomas Philips.
He quoted Kita president Zaid Ibrahim who recently said in his blog that the Malays are already in complete political control.
The party president also said that various government-linked companies such as Maybank, Petronas, Telekom Malaysia are already in the government’s hand and managed by Malay-bumiputras.
“The G-20 group of largest listed GLCs alone possesses RM353 billion (around half) of the market capitalisation of the entire Bursa Malaysia,” Zaid had said.
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Slowing talent growth adds to brain drain woes
Posted by Kit in Brain drain on Saturday, 7 May 2011, 1:09 pm
By Leslie Lau
KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Malaysia ranked 36th out of 60 countries in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Global Talent Index which saw the United States placed as the top country in producing talent, while Singapore and Nordic nations were rated stellar performers.
The Global Talent Index (GTI) report for 2011, released yesterday, also projected Malaysia’s ranking would fall marginally by three places to 39th out of 60 countries by 2015, reflecting the country’s struggle with brain drain and retaining talent.
The World Bank’s report on the country’s brain drain released last Thursday showed that the number of Malaysians with tertiary education who moved abroad tripled in the last two decades.
Two out of every 10 Malaysians with a tertiary education opted for either OECD countries or Singapore.
As of 2010, the World Bank estimated the Malaysian diaspora at about one million, of whom one-third were tertiary educated.
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Out of 10 people, 11 do not believe!
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, UMNO on Saturday, 7 May 2011, 1:08 pm
I spent a major part of the day, including some small hours into Friday prayers assessing people’s reaction of the sex video. It’s the video made in Thailand featuring a person who looked like Anwar Ibrahim. The man looked taller, sports a close cropped hair do and the lady in question looks suspiciously like a girl from China. Maybe she’s Suzie Wong. I am sure many of us remember the film no?
Here’s the deal. Out of 10 people I asked — 11 do not believe its Anwar! Perhaps it’s in the nature of the allegation. The allegation is so preposterous. Never before has any preposterous spectacle been created by so questionable a group made up of so dubious collection of characters.
As the issue of the smut video drags on, it’s becoming clear that it has also become the sword of Damocles over the head of the Umno leadership. The Umno leadership is probably wishing this sex video issue did not arise at all. At first they thought this was a fortunate gift to finish off Anwar Ibrahim. The sex video now is like the sword held at the pommel by a piece of horse’s hair hanging over the head of the Umno leadership. It now wants the sword be taken away quickly or it now wishes not to be associated at all with the sex video.
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Christian leaders condemn claims trying to usurp Islam
By Debra Chong | TMI
KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Organisers of a Christian meeting in Penang denied today allegations from pro-Umno bloggers that they were conspiring with the DAP to supplant Islam’s position as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.
The heated religious rhetoric from before the April 16 Sarawak election appeared to have died down immediately after, only to flare up again this week as right-wing Malay groups sounded the alarm over the rising popularity of the Chinese-dominant DAP.
The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), together with partners Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship, said the claims against their community were lies and slammed the pro-Malay rights groups for driving a further wedge to create social disharmony in multicultural Malaysia apart from being seditious.
“The organiser vehemently denies such a claim as being unfounded and totally untrue aimed at creating division and social disharmony in multi-ethnic society of Malaysia and appears to be seditious,” the Christian group said in a statement this evening.
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MACC assassinates Teoh’s character
Posted by Kit in Crime, Teoh Beng Hock on Saturday, 7 May 2011, 10:19 am
By Mariam Mokhtar | FMT
Even in death, the MACC will not leave Teoh Beng Hock alone. This time, they chose to sully whatever lasting memory Teoh’s poor family have of him, by claiming that Teoh committed suicide.
Are MACC lawyers poorly trained that they have to alternate from comical acts to farcical conjectures?
During the inquest into Teoh’s suspicious death, the MACC lawyer, Abdul Razak Musa grilled Dr Pornthip, the Thai pathologist, and gave the whole world a hilarious demonstration of how not to conduct a cross examination.
However, in the latest round of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), the MACC lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah charged that Teoh ‘took his life and chose “death before dishonour” to spare the DAP from charges of corruption’.
How ludicrous is that?
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Standard of Proof Not Met in Sodomy ll
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Court on Saturday, 7 May 2011, 7:10 am
By Singa Pura Pura
The whole of the prosecution’s evidence, taken in its entirety at this stage, would not even pass the test enunciated in the Federal Court in Balachandran v. PP [2005] 1 CLJ 85 FC, namely, that:
“The result is that the force of the evidence adduced must be such that, if unrebutted, it is sufficient to induce the court to believe in the existence of the facts stated in the charge or to consider its existence so probable that a prudent man ought to act upon the supposition that those facts exist or did happen. In order to make a finding either way the court must, at the close of the case for the prosecution, undertake a positive [maximum] evaluation of the credibility and reliability of all the evidence.
“The test at the close of the case for the prosecution would therefore be: Is the evidence sufficient to convict the accused if he elects to remain silent? This must, as of necessity, require a consideration of the existence of any reasonable doubt in the case for the prosecution. If there is any such doubt there can be no prima facie case. As the accused can be convicted on the prima facie evidence – it [the evidence] must have reached a standard which is capable of supporting a conviction beyond reasonable doubt … The prima facie evidence which was capable of supporting a conviction beyond reasonable doubt will constitute proof beyond reasonable doubt.”
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RM30 million donation rejected and scholarship for the poor
Posted by Kit in DAP, MCA, Pakatan Rakyat on Saturday, 7 May 2011, 7:05 am
By Koon Yew Yin
1. I am not a politician. But I know politics is very important because it affects you and your children. I want to help you win the coming election. I have already donated RM100,000 during your last dinner to celebrate Lim Kit Siang’s 70th Birthday, a few months ago. (Admin note: RM100,000 donated to DAP Perak)
I put my money where my mouth is. Many people would grumble and complain about BN government’s corruptions, abuse of power and Chinese cannot get university places and also employment in the civil services, etc but they dare not come forward to support Pakatan Rakyat to change the Government.
I hope my coming forward openly will encourage many people to show support. Your party needs money and I hope you all will donate as much as you can afford.
2. You must bear in mind that the population of the non Malays is relatively small, even all non Malays vote for the PR and without Malays winning some seats, Pakatan Ryakyat cannot control the Perak State Government or Putrajaya. After tonight’s dinner, I would like each of you to make a serious effort to make friend with at least one Malay and convince him to vote for PR.
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Post-Sarawak Elections: The Sway Of Chinese Voters – Analysis
By Choong Pui Yee and Farish Noor
MALAYSIA’S RULING Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won two-thirds of the seats in the 16 April 2011 state elections in Sarawak. Supported by the presence of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, the BN victory means it retained its majority in the East Malaysian state with 55 seats and was able to form the state government again. Despite the victory in this staunchly pro-BN state, which has always been perceived as the BN’s ‘fixed deposit’, the ruling coalition has suffered a significant drop in ethnic Chinese voter support.
The opposition parties acting in alliance as Pakatan Rakyat (PR) made inroads, eating into the BN’s support base. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) won 12 out of the 15 seats it contested, doubling its share of seats in Sarawak since the 2006 state elections. Another opposition party, the People’s Justice Party (PKR) won three seats, including a rural seat at Ba’Kelalan, while the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) did not win a single seat. The inroads made by the opposition alliance were mainly due to the work of the DAP. One unexpected result was the toppling of George Chan, the state’s deputy chief minister from the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP). His defeat by a political newcomer, Ling Sie Kiong, strongly manifests the intensity of Chinese voter sentiment against the BN.
Building up the Momentum
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Take weeks even months to know position
Posted by Kit in Announcement on Friday, 6 May 2011, 5:17 pm
Tweet
Lim Kit Siang
[Admin] LKS discharged after 4-day hospital – present PgCM LGE CKY LHS. Anwar Mansor Malek visited morng. Hourly home treatment. 2weeks off
6 May (5.08pm)
Lim Kit Siang
[Admin] After 5days “blind” left eye LKS begins 2c w +10% vision. Take weeks even months 2know how much sight recovery of dominant eye.
6 May (5.06pm)
Syarat Kemasukkan ke Ijazah Farmasi Lepasan Diploma Farmasi
YB Lim,
Per: Syarat Kemasukkan ke Ijazah Farmasi Lepasan Diploma Farmasi
Merujuk perkara di atas, dimaklumkan bahawa saya pelajar jurusan Diploma Farmasi semester terakhir Kolej Universiti (IPTS). Di sini saya ingin meluahkan kekecewaan terhadap sistem yang diguna pakai pada masa kini untuk pengambilan pelajar lepasan Diploma Farmasi ke peringkat IPTA atau IPTS bagi jurusan Ijazah Farmasi.
2. Apa yang menyedihkan ialah graduan dari jurusan Diploma Farmasi wajib mendapat CGPA 3.8 ke atas untuk layak mejejak kaki menara gading untuk melanjutkan pendidikan ke peringakat Ijazah. Sebelum saya memilih jurusan Diploma Farmasi, saya pernah dimaklumkan bahawa syarat untuk melanjutkan ke peringkat Ijazah adalah CGPA 3.0 sahaja. Tetapi kini semuanya telah berubah. Saya berasa sedih dan hala tuju saya untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat Ijazah dalam bidang Farmasi terbantut. Read the rest of this entry »
If it was Anwar, so what?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Crime, Police on Friday, 6 May 2011, 3:50 pm
By P Ramakrishnan | Aliran’s President
The motive is to implant the impression in the minds of Malaysians that the performer in the sex tape is Anwar – to the extent that a senior police officer from Bukit Aman reportedly has been in Kelantan for several weeks meeting with principals and teachers and informing them it is Anwar who is in the tape.
Leaving aside the question if this is the paramount duty of the police in curbing violence and assuring our personal safety and security, a pertinent question to ask is, “Why is it so important for the police to implicate Anwar in this sex scandal?”
Just for argument’s sake, so what if it was Anwar? What law has he breached; what offence has he committed? Malaysians would want the police to state in clear terms what Anwar is guilty of as far as the sex tape is concerned. What section of the Penal Code is applicable to charge him for that particular offence?
Malaysians don’t want the police to go on a wild goose chase only to be told later on that there was nothing to it! Malaysians don’t want to be taken for a ride by the police. They want the police to state very clearly whether Anwar has a case to answer. They have to state this immediately to convince the Malaysian public that the police are not wasting their time on inconsequential issues. They have a duty to perform better and conduct themselves professionally. Read the rest of this entry »
The sex video comedy and the Malaysian malady
Posted by Kit in Kee Thuan Chye, Najib Razak, Police on Friday, 6 May 2011, 5:00 am
The sex video saga is really turning out to be a farce. It’s so funny you can’t help but laugh.
First, the ‘Datuk T’ trio who brought public attention to the video have been made the butt of countless jokes. Second, the police seem to be hesitant in revealing their findings even as the video has been leaked out and posted on YouTube and Umno-friendly blogs although the only copy is supposed to be in police custody.
And now one of the trio has taken the sumpah laknat. Last week, Shazryl Eskay Abdullah swore on the Quran to make us believe he is telling the truth in saying that the man in the video is Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. What’s going to happen next?
This act of swearing on the Quran is getting to be a trend. In 2008, Saiful Bukhari Azlan did it to attest he was sodomised by Anwar. That same year, no less than Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak himself also did it to have us believe he was never involved with Altantuya. Despite their gestures, many people are still sceptical.
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Behind the iron gates
By June Rubis
May 05, 2011
We stand separated by an iron gate.
Concerned villagers and relatives of Numpang Suntai are quietly gathered outside the gates of the Simunjan magistrate’s court. The rest of us, carefully picked by the police, are standing on the grounds of the court with his lawyers.
The day is February 16, 2011, and Numpang is on trial for criminal intimidation. He, along with five tuais rumah (Iban longhouse chiefs) and a prominent land rights activist, Nicholas Mujah, were previously arrested and detained a few months prior on suspicion of burning down a timber camp that stood on their native customary land.
The man of the hour stands quietly in the rain in solidarity with his supporters who came far and wide to be by his side. So does lawyer Edmund Bon who refused to step inside court grounds.
I had taken Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan pass the iron gate because she wanted to discuss with the lawyers regarding Numpang’s case. My job was done, and I stood uncertainly with the heavily-armed police and lawyers, wanting to be on the other side of the gate. Read the rest of this entry »
A long haul
Tweets @limkitsiang:-
5th day:
[Admin] LKS 5th day w/o vision on left eye. However surgeon optimistic of sight recovery after Vitrectomy op. Q: how much? Wil b longhaul
4th day:
[Admin] LKS w/o vision on left eye for 4th day. Depending on outcome of Vitrectomy op to restore sight. Pray for the best.
Another Open Letter from Mat Zain to IGP
Letter by Mat Zain
Kepada,
YDH Tan Sri Haji Ismail bin Haji Omar,IGP,
Ketua Polis Negara,
Polis Di-Raja Malaysia,
Bukit Aman,
50560 Kuala Lumpur,
Email:[email protected]
YDH Tan Sri,
KEYAKINAN RAKYAT TERHADAP PDRM SEMAKIN PARAH
1. Sejak dua minggu kebelakangan ini orang ramai nampaknya bertambah lantang mengecam dan mengutuk caramana tindakan PDRM menangani isu video lucah yang dikatakan melibatkan Anwar Ibrahim.Malahan terdapat mereka dengan secara terbuka dan berani mengeluarkan kata-kata kesat dan lucah terhadap pucuk pimpinan PDRM.Melihat tindak tanduk dan kenyataan umum yang dibuat oleh Polis sendiri,dan diperbesarkan oleh media,kita tidak dapat menyalahkan rakyat jika berpendirian sedemikian.
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Longing For A Free Mind (Part 9 of 14)
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa on Thursday, 5 May 2011, 1:47 pm
Free Minds in Our Legends and History
In Sulalatus Salatin (Malay Annals) there is the story of Temasek (old Singapore) being regularly invaded by a school of flying swordfish. Hundreds fell victim, impaled by the sharp snouts of the fish. All efforts at combating this piscine scourge were unsuccessful.
That is, until a young boy suggested to the sultan to plant a row of banana stems along the shore. In that way, Hang Nadim told the sultan, when those flying fish darted onshore, they would be impaled on the soft stems.
The scheme worked wonderfully well, and the pleased sultan decided to honor the young man. The sultan’s advisors however, had second thoughts. If that youth could dream up such a brilliant scheme at a young age, they convinced the sultan, imagine what else would he think of later as an adult. Sensing a future threat, the sultan had Hang Nadim executed instead. Imagine!
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The Migrant’s Eye
Posted by Kit in Brain drain on Thursday, 5 May 2011, 12:00 pm
The World Bank 2011 Essay Competition finalist – Shaun Tan from Malaysia on brain drain.
By Shaun Tan
‘Our young people represent the future of our country’. This phrase has been echoed by almost every politician in almost every country in modern history. However the changes instigated by the increasing ease of migration are such that not even this time-honored cliché holds the weight it once did. Young people still represent the future, but it is the future of whichever country they decide to settle in or impact, which may or may not be their country of origin. As with most changes, there are new benefits and drawbacks, and new winners and losers. Among the most pressing questions countries now face are how to prevent their young people from migrating, and how far they should go in providing for the migrants residing within their borders.
Exodus
Smart Indians go to med school,
Smart Chinese go to investment banks,
Smart Malaysians go to Singapore.
– Anonymous
No Difference With or Without
Posted by Kit in Kee Thuan Chye, MCA, UMNO on Wednesday, 4 May 2011, 8:37 pm
PRIME Minister Najib Razak has changed his tack in relating to the Chinese electorate. He seems to have discarded his role of the charmer who spun 1Malaysia hogwash to win Chinese hearts and minds. He is now threatening them instead.
He’s telling them that if they don’t support Barisan Nasional (BN) at the next general election, they will not have representation in the Government. This is because Chua Soi Lek, the MCA president, has declared that his party will not accept government positions if they don’t get Chinese support.
Najib’s switch to a threatening mode shows that he’s desperate. He clearly must be after what has happened in the recent Sarawak state elections, when the Chinese dumped the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in favour of the Opposition. Despite Najib’s 10-day campaign in the state, the Chinese there did not show him any face. They are simply fed-up with the corrupt BN Government and they want reform. But for BN, the loss of Chinese support, especially in Sarawak, with the possible spread to Sabah, could be crucial at the next general election.
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Surely not another 50 years of Islamisation?
Posted by Kit in History, Islam, Najib Razak, UMNO on Wednesday, 4 May 2011, 8:31 pm
by Yin Ee Kiong | CPIAsia
Until now one can arguably say that the non-Muslims have not made a stand against the erosion of their constitutional right regarding freedom of worship. Neither have they done anything to protect the status of their religion.
The church has stood by while symbols of their religion were dismantled from mission schools. The church leaders were weak and complaint, and for being a ‘good boy’ many were made Datuks. The same can be said of the leaders of the other religions.
If ever they thought that ‘turning the other cheek’ would appease the Islamist fundamentalists then they were wrong. Appeasement only emboldened the religious ultras among the Muslims.
Now we’ve had churches being torched and corpses snatched, temples demolished and cow heads paraded to insult the religions of the infidels.
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Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #63
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, globalisation on Wednesday, 4 May 2011, 8:21 pm
Chapter 8: Culture, Institutions, and Leadership
Negeri endah kerana penghulu. (Great nation, great leader.)
—Ancient Malay Proverb
There is now gradually emerging a common Malaysian culture. Part of this is the result of a deliberate official policy, but more likely it is the natural consequence of people living and working together. I posit this process would have gone further had there been no governmental policy promoting a common culture. It is a predictable human reaction to be defensive and protective of one’s heritage when threatened.
In America there is no stated policy of Americanizing new immigrants, nonetheless new arrivals are always eager to join the mainstream. Within a generation, new Americans are already fully acculturated. Similarly, early Chinese immigrants to Malaysia, the “Straits” Chinese, readily adopted the Malay language and way of life precisely because the government and polity of the day were not harping on the issue of a “national” culture. Likewise, early Indian Muslim immigrants to northern Malaysia blended easily with native Malays, aided undoubtedly by the commonality of religion. Mamak Malays, as they are called, are fast vanishing as a subculture as they have become completely assimilated, with some becoming ministers and even Prime Minister!
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