Isnin, 30 Mei 2011

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Kami bayar sewa bangunan, tegas PKR

Posted: 30 May 2011 10:57 PM PDT

Pengarah Strategi PKR Rafizi Ramli berkata, parti itu membuat pembayaran sewa bangunan yang memempatkan ibu pejabatnya di Petaling Jaya dan tidak timbul dalam mesyuarat biro politik dan majlis pimpinan pusat.

Sehubungan itu, katanya, laporan media bahawa PKR tidak membayar sewa bagi tempoh 30 bulan adalah tidak benar.

"Setahu kami, tiada sebarang perbincangan tentang perkara ini... (PKR) telah tunaikan tanggungjawab seperti termaktub dalam perjanjian sewaan," katanya.

Katanya, mereka hanya menyedari masalah itu apabila mendapat surat daripada bank berhubung perkara itu.

Minggu lalu, dilaporkan bangunan itu akan dilelong oleh Addin Bank pada 0 Jun selepas pemiliknya gagal membayar balik pinjaman.

Pemimpin PKR mengakui parti itu membayar sewa RM20,000 seperti termaktub dalam perjanjian yang ditandtangani pada 2008. Bagaimanapun, Free Malaysia Today yang memetik sumber memaklumkan perkara itu tidak benar.

[Baca berita penuh]

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Biasiswa JPA: Nasib 86 pelajar ditentukan esok

Posted: 30 May 2011 10:41 PM PDT

Jemaah Menteri akan bermesyuarat esok bagi menentukan sama ada 86 pelajar yang mencatatkan keputusan cemerlang 9A+ dalam peperiksaan SPM tetapi gagal mendapatkan biasiswa Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam boleh melanjutkan pelajaran mereka di luar negara.

NONE"Saya, Menteri Kesihatan Liow Tiong Lai dan Menteri Sumber Manusia Dr S Subramaniam akan menimbulkan perkara itu dan membuat rayuan kepada kabinet esok," kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz pada sidang akhbar di Parlimen hari ini.

Rayuan itu akan dikemukakan berikutan mesyuarat pemimpin parti komponen BN yang diadakan sebelum sidang akhbar ini.

Ahli politik, NGO, pelajar yang kecewa dan ibu bapa berang kerana ramai pelajar cemerlang gagal mendapatkan biasiswa JPA. Ada juga yang ditawarkan tempat di universiti tempatan sedangkan mereka memohon untuk belajar di luar negara. Ada pula yang ditawarkan biasiswa untuk program diploma sedangkan mereka mahu mengikuti program matrikulasi.

Nazri, bagaimanapun menafikan ketidak-sepadanan itu berlaku dan tidak ada masalah dengan pemberian biasiswa JPA. Katanya rasa tidak puas hati timbul kerana orang ramai tidak memahami kriteria dan proses pemberian biasiswa.

[Baca berita penuh]

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Rabu, 25 Mei 2011

Malaysiakini :: Berita

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Diusir dari Sarawak: Ketua BERSIH 2.0 saman Taib

Posted: 25 May 2011 10:53 PM PDT

Ketua BERSIH 2.0 Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan mengemukakan saman ke atas Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud bagi mencabar arahan ketua menteri itu untuk mengusirnya dari Sarawak semasa pilihan raya negeri yang lalu.

NONESaman itu difailkan di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur pada Isnin lalu dengan menamakan Taib, ketua pengarah Jabatan Imigresen dan pihak berkuasa yang relevan sebagai responden.

Ambiga, yang bekas pengerusi Majlis Peguam berkata tarikh perbicaraan akan diadakan pada Julai ini.

"Saya mohon mahkamah bagi mengketepikan arahan pengusiran kerana ia mencabul hak perlembagaan saya dan satu bentuk salah guna kuasa," katanya.

Ambiga adalah aktivis keempat yang dilarang ke Sarawak semasa kepen 10 hari pilihan raya negeri April lalu. Sebelum itu, Steven Ng, Wong Chin Huat and Haris Ibrahim juga ditahan di Lapngan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuching dan dihantar pulang dengan penerbangan seterusnya ke Kuala Lumpur.

Mangsa terbaru yang mengalami nasib yang sama adalah penyelaras Rangkaian Pemantau Pilihan Raya Malaysia, Ong Boon Keong.

Beliau ditahan oleh pegawai Imigresen Kuching ketika melawat Bengoh pada Selasa lalu dan dihantar pulang ke Kuala Lumpur pada hari yang sama.

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Naib presiden PAS: Nizar terus berteka-teki

Posted: 25 May 2011 10:37 PM PDT

Tindakan Bekas Menteri Besar Perak Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin yang masih enggan menyatakan pendiriannya sama ada mahu bertanding jawatan naib presiden PAS hingga ke saat-saat akhir mencetuskan pelbagai tanda tanya.

Ini kerana, seramai 13 lagi yang dicalonkan telah membuat keputusan sama ada untuk bertanding atau menolak hasrat daripada 146 kawasan PAS itu.

azlan"Saya belum membuat keputusan. Saya hendak menunggu tiga atau empat fakta (untuk pertimbangan). Saya akan fakskan kepada ibu pejabat parti sebelum jam 5 petang.

"Jadi saya ada (lebih kurang) lima jam lagi untuk (menunggu) tiga, empat maklumat untuk diambil kira," katanya ketika dihubungi Malaysiakini tengah hari.

Jawatankuasa pemilihan yang diketuai ahli parlimen Pengakalan Chepa Datuk Abdul Halim Abd Rahman menetapkan jam 5 petang hari ini merupakan waktu akhir bagi semua calon yang layak untuk menghantar borang penerimaan pencalonan.

Nizar bagaimanapun dilihat berminat turut bersaing ke jawatan itu kerana menjadi kebiasaan bagi pemimpin PAS menolak pencalonan awal-awal lagi sekiranya tidak berminat.

Tindakan Nizar itu dilihat bagi menyusun percaturan dan membuat perkiraan terakhirnya, di samping melihat kekuatan lawannya buat masa ini.

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Malaysiakini :: Letters

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Malaysiakini :: Letters


Unequal before the law

Posted: 25 May 2011 03:56 AM PDT

I would like to comment on the statement by our Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

"Ibrahim Ali is a clown." (The Star - Wednesday 25 May 2011)

Whether he is a clown or not is immaterial. What matters is that he is inciting hatred and his call for 'jihad' is highly inflammatory,yet no action has been taken against him.

The reason given is that: "It has been ten days since his statement and there are no riots. It shows that society has matured. If society feels that something uttered is no longer seditious,who are we to say it is?"

I would least expect the learned Minister for Justice to be that naive. Does it mean that a riot must occur before an utterance is considered seditious?

There has been no rioting simply because the call for "jihad" is by a Muslim against Christians,who happen to be peace loving as evidenced during the burning of churches.

Had the utterance been made by a non-Muslim against the Muslim, the situation would have been entirely different. It would appear that any utterance by a Malay or Muslim is non-seditious regardless whether it is provocative.

Are we living in a country with two separate sets of laws?
1Malaysia? It is a mere slogan. Don't expect equal justice.

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We need empowerment not a freeze

Posted: 25 May 2011 03:01 AM PDT

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Selasa, 24 Mei 2011

Malaysiakini :: Berita

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Tangkap penganut Syiah: Ar-Ridha bidas JAIS

Posted: 24 May 2011 10:30 PM PDT

Pengarah sebuah NGO penganut Syiah Ar-Ridha Mohd Kamilzuhairi Abdul Aziz menyifatkan tindakan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) menahan empat pengikutnya semalam sebagai tindakan biadap dan suatu bentuk penindasan.

NONEIni kerana dakwanya, agensi kerajaan itu menahan mereka tanpa waran dan tidak mengikut saluran undang-undang yang betul.

"Tindakan JAIS dalam membuat serbuan dan menahan empat anggota Syiah adalah bercanggah dengan Artikel 11, Perlembagaan Malaysia, yang menyebut agama Islam sebagai agama rasmi dan penganut-penganut agama lain bebas untuk mengamalkan ajaran agama mereka," kata Mohd Kamilzuhairi (atas, berseluar cokelat).

Beliau berkata mereka ditahan kerana didakwa menyebarkan ajaran mazhab Syiah walaupun majlis itu sekadar majlis jamuan makan yang diadakan setiap tahun bagi mengingati kelahiran puteri Rasulullah SAW Fatimah Az-Zahra.

Semalam, beliau bersama tiga lagi rakannya - Radin Ahmad Faizul Radin Mohd Hambali, Mohd Asyraf Ahmad dan Syed Mohd Shafik Syed Hussin – ditangkap ketika mengadakan satu majlis jamuan makan yang berlangsung di Dataran Rakyat, Taman Sri Gombak.

NONEDalam kenyataannya, beliau berkata semasa serbuan itu, lebih 1,000 tetamu daripada pelbagai bangsa dan agama dalam konteks 1Malaysia sedang menjamu selera dan tindakan menahan mereka adalah sesuatu yang memeranjatkan serta tidak wajar.

"Ini kerana pihak penganjur telah mendapat kelulusan daripada Majlis Perbandaran Selayang, Polis Diraja Malaysia dan Kementerian Dalam Negeri (Rela) untuk menganjurkan majlis tersebut," katanya.

Sehubungan itu, beliau mendesak JAIS menggugurkan segala pertuduhan ke atas mereka kerana mendakwa majlis tersebut telah mendapat kelulusan daripada pihak berkuasa.

NONEKatanya, mereka juga akan dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Rendah Syariah Gombak Barat, Kuang, Selangor pada 7 Jun depan.

Sementara itu, kumpulan berkenaan juga membuat laporan polis berhubung dua artikel yang didakwa berunsur fitnah yang disiarkan dalam akhbar Berita Harian pada 23 Mei 2011 bertajuk "Masyarakat mesti disebar luas bahaya Syiah" dan "Tiada sebab terima Syiah di Malaysia" semalam. Kedua-dua artikel itu tulisan Hasliza Hassan

Mohd Kamilzuhairi berkata pihaknya juga akan menganjurkan solat hajat di seluruh negara atas sikap biadap JAIS itu.

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Hindraf Makkal Shakti bawa kemelut ke mahkamah

Posted: 24 May 2011 10:23 PM PDT

Setiausaha penaja Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) P Ramesh hari ini memfailkan semakan kehakiman berhubung keenganan kerajaan mendaftarkan Hindraf Makkal Shakti sebagai sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan.

NONERamesh bersama pemimpin Hindraf P Uthayakumar dan M Manoharan, hadir ketika memfailkan permohonan itu di bahagian pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur.

Dalam permohonan itu, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib razak, Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Pendaftar Pertubuhan Malaysia (RoS) dan RoS Wilayah Persekutuan dinamakan sebagai responden.

Ramesh memohon perintah certiorari bagi mengketepikan sebarang keputusan daripada responden untuk menolak permohonannya.

Beliau juga memohon writ mandamus bagi memaksa responden mendaftarkan Hindraf Makkal Shakti dengan RoS dalam tempoh tujuh hari daripada keputusan mahkamah, berdasarkan peruntukan Artikel 8 berhubung hak taraf yang sama.

Ramesh juga memohon bayaran pampasan yang difikirkan layak oleh mahkamah dan membayar kos guaman.

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Malaysiakini :: Letters

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PSD should make better use of its scholarship holders

Posted: 24 May 2011 04:37 AM PDT

I am currently a Malaysian 4th year student at the University of California, Berkeley. I am also a Public Service Department (PSD) scholar.

While I am thankful for the PSD Scholarship, I could not fail to note the lackadaisical method which PSD employs to ensure that its scholars return home and serve the nation after graduation, especially those who are not in the fields of medicine and law.

Many PSD-sponsored students I know have not returned home upon graduation from overseas institutions.

The story would go like this. The PSD scholar reports to Putrajaya after graduation, and then tries to apply for jobs with the Government.

If he does not hear back from PSD within 12 months, he is released from his 6-year bond with the Government. There is no need to pay back.

I suspect that many scholars do not even report home, but go on chasing their own dreams abroad immediately after graduation.

Indeed, many do not hear from the Government within 12 months. I have also heard of PSD scholars who genuinely wanted to serve the Government but could not, because PSD was unable to give them any postings.

For this very reason, the PSD Scholarship has become a much sought after scholarship.

It is effectively a bond-free scholarship! This is a far cry compared to scholarships from other Malaysian corporations such as Petronas, Khazanah and Bank Negara, which are strict with its scholars when it comes to returning home after studying abroad.

It doesn't make sense to spend hundreds of thousands of ringgit per scholar and then let them do whatever they want after graduation.

I have been having a hard time explaining to those of other nationalities why my scholarship's bond is pretty much nonexistent, despite the fact that so much money is spent by the Government.

Since the incorporation of Talent Corp, things might have changed, as there are now more job openings in the private sector for returning scholars. The question is, has anything really changed?

Hitherto, the PSD Scholarship has been an avenue for brain drain-right under the government's nose.

If PSD does not have enough jobs for its scholars, they should at least enforce that scholars are to work within the country for six years, or else pay the government back.

Otherwise, I would have to come to the logical conclusion that the PSD Scholarship was meant to encourage Malaysia's brain drain.

Ideally, the PSD Scholarship should serve the purpose of harnessing Malaysia's best talent for the public service of the nation.

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Disregard safety - invite death and suffering

Posted: 24 May 2011 04:19 AM PDT

The Consumers' Association of Penang is upset over the recent spate of deaths resulting from disregarding safety.

We have lost lives and limbs, as witnessed in the recent landslide in Hulu Langat that killed 16 persons and the latest accident at work place where two workers were crushed to death when the boom pole of a 50m-high crane collapsed on them at a construction site at Bukit Tunku in Kuala Lumpur.

These tragedies and work accidents could have been averted if only the parties responsible had taken heed to safety aspects.

Malaysia may have good laws and guidelines to ensure safety but what use are these if not enforced and implemented by the concerned parties.

After a tragedy happens, statements are issued by the authorities that more stringent measures will be taken, that checks and inquests will be made.

Promises and aid will pour in. Some of these would probably be carried out in the first few days or weeks. Then, after a while all is forgotten and we would hear of a similar tragedy in the near future.

Why the blatant disregard for health and safety? Why do the authorities turn a blind eye on illegal structures and hazardous work places?

Who is responsible when an untoward incident happens? Whom do we blame - nature, fate or negligence of those concerned?

One thing for sure - our questions and concerns will remain unanswered.

Don't we ever learn from past mistakes? The government will continue to approve hazardous projects such as the Lynas

Advanced Materials Plant in Gebeng and ignore pleas of the rakyat that our lives and health are more valuable than money.

Human lives should not be forced through sickness and suffering in the pursuit of growth and wealth. To ignore the warning signs despite all the evidence is to condemn ourselves and the environment.

We have choices that we can make towards a more sane and safe future. The issue is whether we want to and our pleas are heard and acted upon by those in power.

SM MOHAMED IDRIS is President Consumers Association of Penang

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Isnin, 23 Mei 2011

Malaysiakini :: Berita

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Tuan Ibrahim tanding timbalan presiden PAS

Posted: 23 May 2011 10:44 PM PDT

Perebutan bagi jawatan timbalan presiden PAS semakin panas apabila Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man mengumumkan menerima pencalonan untuk bertanding jawatan tersebut.

Setakat ini, bekas naib presiden Mohamad Sabu mengumumkan bertanding jawatan tersebut manakala penyandangnya Nasharuddin Mat Isa akan mempertahan jawatannya dalam muktamar parti awal bulan depan.

pas muktamar 130610 tuan ibrahim tuan manDalam satu kenyataan, Tuan Ibrahim berkata, beliau telah dicalonkan
untuk bertanding jawatan timbalan presiden dan naib presiden, dengan jumlah pencalonan yang agak memberangsangkan.

Katanya, beliau sebelum ini telah berkali-kali menyatakan hasratnya yang lebih berminat mempertahankan jawatan naib presiden sekiranya menerima pencalonan mencukupi.

"Namun kawasan-kawasan terus juga mencalonkan saya untuk bertanding jawatan timbalan presiden dengan jumlah pencalonan yang agak besar.

Tuan Ibrahim bagaimanapun berkata, beliau tidak bercadang untuk menyatakan jumlah pencalonan yang diterimanya bagi jawatan timbalan presiden.

Namun, katanya, ianya suatu jumlah yang "memerlukan saya memikirkannya semula hasrat saya sebelum ini secara mendalam sebelum membuat sesuatu keputusan."

"Sebagai seorang pekerja parti, saya melihat keadaan ini sebagai kehendak sebahagian ahli parti di peringkat akar umbi yang perlu dipertimbangkan, dihormati dan tidak boleh diketepikan begitu sahaja," tambahnya.

"Setelah memikirkan secara mendalam, saya akur dan menerima pencalonan untuk jawatan Timbalan Presiden dengan hati yang terbuka, pada masa yang sama saya menyerahkannya kepada perwakilan untuk membuat keputusan," tambahnya.

Beliau juga mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua kawasan yang telah mencalonkan beliau.

"Dengan rendah diri, saya sedar saya bukanlah calon terbaik berbanding calon-calon lain, yang jauh lebih layak dari saya dengan pengalaman perjuangan yang panjang serta pengorbanan yang hebat untuk parti sekian lama.

"Sebagai sebuah parti besar dengan kekuatan tarbiyah dan kefahaman mendalam terhadap tanggungjawab yang diamanahkan, saya penuh keyakinan dan berdoa bahawa pemilihan ini akan berjalan dengan nilai ukhuwah yang sangat tinggi selaras dengan kedudukan PAS sebagai sebuah gerakan Islam," tegas Tuan Ibrahim.

Sebelum ini, Malaysiakini difahamkan Tuan Ibrahim memperolehi 39 pencalonan di belakang Mohamad Sabu (47) dan Nasharudddin (43).

Juga difahamkan kira-kira 15 kawasan lagi yang berhasrat untuk mencalonkan Tuan Ibrahim bagi jawatan timbalan tetapi tidak dapat berbuat demikian atas sebab-sebab teknikal berkaitan dengan tarikh tutup.

Sekiranya, mereka sempat membuat pencalonan, maka Tuan Ibrahim akan memperolehi pencalonan tertinggi untuk bertanding jawatan nombor dua itu.

Besok merupakan tarikh tutup penerimaan pencalonan bagi calon-calon yang layak bertanding jawatan utama parti itu bulan depan.

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Empat anggota Syiah ditahan JAIS

Posted: 23 May 2011 10:36 PM PDT

Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (JAIS) akhirnya menangkap empat anggota ajaran Syiah di Gombak, termasuk ketuanya Mohd Kamil Zuhairi dalam sambutan ulangtahun kelahiran puteri Nabi Muhammad di Gombak sebentar tadi.

Jurucakap majlis Radin Ahmad Faizul berkata, selain Mohd Kamil, beliau sendiri ditahan dan dibawa ke ibu pejabat polis daerah (IPD) Gombak.

NONEDua lagi, menurutnya hanya dikenali sebagai Syed Syafiq dan Ashraf. Nama penuh mereka belum diperoleh setakat ini.

Sebelum itu, jurucakap majlis Radin Ahmad Faizul berkata, lebih 20 anggota JAIS kelihatan hadir di majlis itu selepas berlangsung 20 minit bermula jam 12 tengah hari.

Ketika itu, JAIS cuma mengambil kad pengenalan beberapa tokoh penting penganjur, termasuk Mohd Kamil.

"Lagi pun majlis itu cuma majlis makan-makan sahaja," kata Radin sambil mendakwa mereka mendapat permit polis untuk menganjurkan acara itu.

Kira-kira 500 orang hadir dalam program yang diadakan di perkarangan hauzah atau markaz mereka di Gombak.

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Malaysiakini :: Letters

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Death row: Mercy should be part of judgement

Posted: 23 May 2011 12:33 AM PDT

I want to thank Malaysiakini for publishing the letters from Malaysian Yong Vui Kong who is on death row in a Singapore jail.

Yong Vui Kong deserves a second chance and society cannot make the double mistake of making him a victim again by his execution. There is no benefit in taking away the life of one whose story of abuse, poverty and deception is typical of those whom life dealt a cruel hand.

No one denies he is guilty of the crime. No one criticizes the Singapore government of doing anything wrong if it executes Vui Kong. The law against drugs trafficking is clear – you deal in drugs you get caught you face the mandatory death sentence.

There are those who believe mandatory death sentencing for drugs has not worked and is also unjust. There are those who oppose capital punishment for any crime even murder. But for Vui Kong it is a futile debate because time is running out for him.

The Singapore government takes a strict approach to law and order and will not tolerate drugs trafficking. Like Malaysia it will not stop hanging those who are found guilty of the crime. Despite the appeals of their governments Singapore and Malaysia have hung foreigners found caught drug trafficking.

But mercy is greater than the law. There are mitigating circumstances to consider because justice cannot be justice if it is not exercised with mercy when all is considered.

Vui Kong grew up in extremely difficult circumstances and he was no big time drug peddler. He was at best at the lowest rung of the dirty drugs trade – a courier.

The problem with mandatory death sentencing of drug offenders is it is done without mercy. If human society exists without mercy and punishment is meted out to criminals without mercy than the human race is no longer human. It is no better than the animals who know nothing of mercy and live by the law of might.

Yet compassion is what makes us human.

The cases of several young Australian men and women convicted for drug smuggling into Bali is well publicised. Three men were convicted and sentenced to death. But recently one named Scott had his sentence reduced to life imprisonment by the Indonesian judge. A death sentence commuted to life has happened before in Singapore and many other places.

What relief it gave to Scott's father who had faithfully visited his son in prison and did all he could to save his son's life. A death sentence does not take away only one life but the lives of many around the one punished. Life in an Indonesia prison is no picnic and a life sentence is still a long stay in jail. But where there is life there is hope.

The recent polls results in Singapore must send a message to the Singapore government that the big stick approach to governance may not always work. The Singapore Prime Minister has himself apologised to Singaporeans for his government's mistakes. It is worthy of a leader to apologise. And it will be a mistake to hang Vui Kong.

It has always been said that Singapore is all body but without soul. I am not sure if this is entirely true because I know that Singapore society can be caring and the Singapore government does more than many other governments for its people. But to those who make the observation perception is everything. Hanging Vui Kong will only affirm that perception.

But what the critics mean is probably that there is an aspect of its administration that lacks the human touch. There is only cold and calculated adherence to the rules without any provision for discretion and in the case of mandatory death sentencing there is only a stony wall of rejection of any hint of mercy.

Now is the time for Singapore to show mercy to one like Vui Kong whose death will achieve nothing except harden the hearts of those who think the country has lost touch with its humanity, who believe there is a place for compassion and that more will be achieved by sparing Vui Kong who has shown he is no hardened criminal but one who is remorseful and regretful of his crime.

He knows there is no one to blame but himself. He is resolved to his fate. Should he not be given another chance, after all he was relatively young and naïve when he was arrested? It can happen to anyone. The son of the Western Australian police chief was recently convicted for a drug offence.

If youth had known better I am sure he would never have touched the stuff or be duped into being a mule. The crime of youth is their naiveté and the law must make a provision for their rehabilitation because we are after all human and fallible.

Who has not been foolish and done something regrettable in their youth?

Mandatory death sentencing laws have proven not to stop any crime and the data on the number of people executed for death trafficking that those who research such matters provide may prove the point. But my purpose in writing is not to debate something that may not be relevant to Vui Kong now.

I write because I believe that the Singapore government can show it has a human heart and that sparing Vui Kong's life will not open a floodgate of drug-pushers into the island state but open our hearts to a government that believes in compassion.

Ultimately we all die but it would such a shame to not spare one life that will prove to be more useful and beneficial to society alive than dead.

I think of his grieving mother whose story is one of jagged tragedy from painful poverty and adversity who least deserves to have another dagger pierce her heart if Vui Kong goes to the gallows.

I appeal to the Singapore government and the Malaysian government to do all they can to spare the life of this young man. To err is human but to forgive is divine. And mercy must triumph over judgement.

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Landslide tragedy: Time for gov't to own up

Posted: 22 May 2011 11:29 PM PDT

Once again innocent lives have been lost in the name of hill side development as seen in the Hulu Langat landslide tragedy. When will we ever learn. Do we still need to allow any further hill side developments? Isn't it time for us to review our development policies once and for all to withdraw all development orders given by the authorities for such development.

There have been too many accidents and lives lost due to such development and yet the authorities issue more and more such development orders. Even the courts have taken a poor stand in allowing the authorities to continue such practice.

As so many people have said, demonstrated, provided ample proof to substantiate that hill slope development is unstable and unsafe, why is it the authorities refuse to learn and stop issuing such orders?

Are they going to be there to do the body count when something untoward happens? Is this judge going to be there to console the families who have lost their loved ones? And is the government going to compensate the lives lost?

The sheer number of such landslides throughout Malaysia is staggering. How many more lives do we need to lose before we learn?

We call for an end to all hill slope development throughout Malaysia. All projects must be put to a stop. If projects are already ongoing, strict control measures must be put in place to protect and ensure slope stability.

We urge the government to impose a blanket withdrawal of development orders issued nationwide immediately.

Buyers for such properties must also take responsibility for they themselves are putting their lives at risk. The common excuse that there is a demand for such hill slope development, therefore there would be such development, must end.

To the authorities and government, you are toying with people's lives by issuing such development orders.

Please take a responsible stand and do not partake to kill innocent people out of your actions. Do not let the death of these children be just another statistic.

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