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Mayat jadi rebutan sudah dibakar Posted: 22 Sep 2011 09:31 PM PDT Ketika mayat Lawrence Selvananthan masih menjadi rebutan antara jabatan agama Islam dan keluarga Kristiannya, rakan-rakan si mati dikatakan mengambil tindakan sendiri dengan menyempurnakan mayatnya tengah hari semalam. Difahamkan bahawa rakan si mati, yang membawa mayatnya ke gereja di Seremban untuk upacara kematian, memutuskan membakarnya dan meyimpan abunya di Segamat. Situasi itu bagaimanapun memungkinan mereka menghadapi tindakan undang-undang oleh Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan (JHEAINS), menurut anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Port Dickson Ravi Munusamy yang bertindak sebagai orang tengah. Ravi berkata, pegawai polis muncul di kediaman keluarga Lawrence di Lukut sekitar waktu tengah malam untuk menyerahkan arahan mahkamah syariah, memaklumkan tindakan akan dikenakan pada mereka. Status agama Lawrence yang baru meninggal dunia mencetuskan kekeliruan pada keluarganya apabila JHEINS datang ke rumah menuntut mayatnya semalam atas alasan si mati memeluk Islam tiga hari sebelumnya. Situasi itu menimbulkan ketegangan antara keluarga dan kira-kira 30 pegawai pihak berkuasa agama dan pegawai polis. [Baca berita penuh]

Balu dakwa peguam SPRM fitnah Sarbaini Posted: 22 Sep 2011 09:11 PM PDT Balu kepada Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed hari ini mendakwa peguam Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia dalam prosiding inkues telah memfitnah Allahyarham suaminya melalui satu kenyataan. Maziah Manap berkata beliau kesal dengan tindakan oleh peguam SPRM, Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah yang mendakwa Penolong Pengarah Kastam Selangor itu meninggal dunia ketika cuba melarikan diri untuk berjumpa seorang rakan. "Kenyataan (hujah peguambela) SPRM tersebut tidak disokong oleh sebarang keterangan semasa inkues dan merupakan satu tohmahan dan spekulasi oleh SPRM sehingga membabitkan nama pihak ketiga," kata Maziah dalam satu kenyataan. Muhammad Shafee melalui satu kenyataan hujah peguambela pada 12 September lalu mendakwa, Ahmad Sarbaini berniat melarikan diri untuk bertemu seorang kakitangan syarikat pengangkutan Schenker Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd, Wan Zainalabidin Wan Zaki. "Kenyataan akhbar tersebut dihebahkan secara meluas seolah-olah ianya satu fakta hakiki. "Saya sangat dukacita dan sedih dengan kenyataan akhbar SPRM tersebut yang merupakan satu lagi tohmahan yang sangat zalim terhadap Allahyarham dan keluarga saya," kata Maziah dalam satu kenyataan. Maziah mendakwa, Shafee membuat kenyataan tersebut supaya kenyataan yang diberikan oleh Allahyarham Ahmad Sarbaini dan Wan Zainalabidin kepada SPRM sebelum ini "dapat diselaraskan." Sedangkan, katanya, hujah yang dikemukakan oleh peguam Wan Zainalabidin telahpun menyatakan bahawa: Tidak terdapat sebarang bukti bahawa Allahyarham terbabit dengan salah laku rasuah. Tidak terdapat sebarang sebab untuk Allahyarham takut dan cuba melarikan diri. Tiada asas kepada teori SPRM bahawa Allahyarham cuba melarikan diri untuk memberikan amaran kepada Wan Zainalabidin demi memastikan pernyataan mereka menjadi konsisten. Pengakuan Allahyarham yang kononnya telah diperolehi, adalah secara muslihat, perdayaan dan paksaan dan amat bercanggah dengan pernyataan awalnya di mana Allahyarham secara tegaas menafikan sebarang perlakuan rasuah Pemadaman rakaman CCTV pada waktu kejadian selama tempoh lebih 22 jam seperti disahkan oleh pegawai forensik, ASP Fauziah Che Mat, menunjukkan usaha SPRM untuk menyembunyikan kejadian sebenar. Katanya lagi, beliau menjawab kenyataan berkenaan kerana tidak sanggup lagi mendengar cemuhan yang dibuat "semata-mata untuk melepaskan SPRM daripada dipertanggungjawabkan ke atas kematian suami saya." Beliau juga mahu pihak yang menyebabkan kematian suaminya itu dipertanggungjawabkan supaya maksud "keadilan" membawa erti kepada keluarga mereka. Inkues berhubung kematian Ahmad Sarbaini dijadualkan akan diputuskan pada Isnin depan.

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Palestinians must register their claim for statehood Posted: 22 Sep 2011 02:55 AM PDT The last time I rechecked the United Nations did not belong to the United States, neither to those countries with veto power like China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. In fact the United Nations (UN) is an international organisation whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. And the UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. It contains multiple subsidiary organisations to carry out its missions. So why is the U.S. President Barack Obama telling the United Nations on Wednesday there was no short cut to Middle East peace and urging the Palestinians to stop trying to get statehood from the Security Council in their application tomorrow? That is not all. The Washington Hawks are furiously scrambling to head off a UN showdown when it is clear that the US is warning world leaders that trying to create a Palestinian nation by simple decree is unwise! For that matter again why amid frantic efforts to avert a diplomatic disaster, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is urging the United Nations to grant the Palestinians the status of observer state, like the Vatican, while outlining a one-year roadmap to peace? The irony remains that both Presidents who are having major domestic problems and challenge to their presidency, are offering different solutions to defuse the diplomatic crisis! Obama need not preach to us either that 'peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations'. The world already knows that and you do not have to be a rocket scientist or a professor of law at Harvard to know that with the vulgar Jewish lobby, the presence of the Washington Hawks, the pressures of the US right wing and US's veto, this will not be possible as the US will do everything possible to protect the rights, interests and obsessions of that mischievous bully and misbehaved nation called Israel! I am happy to learn from my friends among the Palestinians that they will go ahead with their proposal and will not be intimidated by any quarter! I am also encouraged by the words of Palestinian senior aide Saeb Erekat who stated that the pursuit of full UN membership would not be slowed and that they will not allows any political maneuvering on this issue! This is important for President Abbas who has to save face and prevent an embarrassing defeat that might empower his Fatah party's rival faction, the alleged militant Islamic group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and the United States from gaining ultimate power! We are all aware that at the 15-member Security Council, approval of a resolution requires nine 'yes' votes and no veto by a permanent member - the US, Russia, China, Britain and France. If the resolution gets fewer than nine votes, it would be defeated without the US having to use its veto. And that will be the worse case scenario for the US and President Barrack Obama in the wake of the Arab reawakening and the Arab Spring. The Palestinians could also seek a lesser form of recognition by the larger UN General Assembly, where they have overwhelming support. This is the least they could do after failed peace talks, bickering and sporadic outbreaks of violence, genocide, war crimes, and the imprisonment of a population robbed of their peace, land, statehood, independence, human dignity and life itself. On one hand, it is about a homeland, human dignity and the right to statehood for a community of people who have endured suffering, genocide, war crimes, theft of land and property and the other, the awful reality of the Jewish lobby, Israel's cannibalism, bullying and a powerful punishing US veto! Gosh, what a situation!

Can separation of powers in M'sia become reality? Posted: 22 Sep 2011 01:51 AM PDT The recent announcement by the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak of pending political reforms is an important step in the right direction for the country. These reforms are needed to complement the earlier economic ones. The prime minister's boldness in enacting these reforms has been applauded by all quarters, except for Malay supremacist groups such as Perkasa who have been agitating for the harsher use of punitive laws against groups opposed to their notion of Malay rights and who are against any liberalisation of the status quo. However, critics and cynics have questioned whether the reforms are being undertaken by the government to gain popularity and to counter the increasing potency of these civil liberty issues in the coming general elections. Concern has also been expressed on whether the new laws to deter terrorism may be misused by the authorities and may have the same effect of stifling legitimate dissent. Also the proposed decision to abolish annual licencing for the print media under the Printing Presses and Publications Act is really a minor improvement since the home minister's decision not to renew a licence is final and cannot be disputed in any court of law. At the same time, there also appears to be no move to rescind or amend the Sedition Act and the Official Secrets Act which have been used to muzzle legitimate political dissent. For now though, Malaysians should comfort themselves that the proposed new laws will - if truly implemented - take some powers away from the Home Ministry and return them to the judiciary. This makes the role of the judiciary even more important to ensure that there is no abuse of power by the executive. Restore the independence of judiciary Separation of power of the main branches of the state is a core characteristic of all democratic systems. Adherence to this key concept is also critical to the protection of constitutional rights and the attainment of Vision 2020's lofty goals. The drafters of our constitution had laid the groundwork for this by specifying "the supremacy of the law and the power and duty of the Courts to annul any attempt to subvert any of the fundamental rights [contained in the constitution] whether by legislative or administrative action or otherwise" (Reid Commission Report, para 161). Since 1988 however, the independence of the judiciary has been compromised by numerous actions which have undermined its powers and circumscribed its responsibility to defend the constitution from legislative and other pressures. If the prime minister is really serious about his "commitment to making Malaysia a modern, progressive democracy that can be proud to take its place at the top table of international leadership", the restoration of the independence and integrity of the judiciary must be his next reform. Among the necessary steps for this reform process to take place are the following: Establish an independent judicial commission to ensure transparency and objectivity in the appointment and promotion of judges and to protect judicial integrity. Ensure the judiciary has the exclusive authority to decide whether an issue submitted for its decision is within its competence as defined by law. Require all executive decisions to be subject to judicial review. The prime minister must realise that a manipulated and dependent judiciary can only lead to a weakened democracy. The public's impression of a compromised judiciary was very much at the heart of the recent Perak state government coup d'etat which saw the ousting of the Pakatan Rakyat government and its replacement by what many Perakians - including myself - regard as the illegitimate government of the BN in February 2009. At that time, I had made the appeal to the Sultan of Perak in my open letter in the following manner: "To the letter of the law a government must be answerable, and the one standing above politics must be accountable as well. In my humble opinion, Perak will regain its shine and the people's trust when the sultan accedes to the dissolution of the state assembly." According to US diplomats in a leaked WikiLeaks cable, the BN victory in Perak was a "successful political power play both in terms of brute and refined power". The diplomats also commented that "(This) reminds us that of the two coalitions, only the BN has the clout, money, and ability to manipulate the government system (Election Commission, Courts) to muscle its way to power," . Until the separation of powers is fully established and respected, we can expect more such anti-democratic power plays and for the "modern and progressive democracy" that the prime minister aspires towards to remain a distant goal.

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PAS S'gor jumpa JAIS minggu depan Posted: 21 Sep 2011 11:24 PM PDT PAS Selangor akan bertemu dengan Jabatan Agama Islam (JAIS) minggu depan untuk mendapatkan penjelasan lanjut berhubung isu pemberian tauliah kepada ahli politik untuk mengajar di masjid dan surau di negeri itu. Surat untuk mengadakan pertemuan tersebut telah dihantar kepada agensi berkenaan sejak dua minggu lalu. Pertemuan itu dijadual berlangsung pada 27 September ini, jam 3 petang. "Akan ada pertemuan dengan JAIS supaya mereka menjelaskan dengan lebih lanjut (mengenai perkara ini). "Kita tunggu (hasilnya) selepas perjumpaan itu. Kita akan beritahu minggu hadapan," kata pesurujaya PAS Selangor Dr Abdul Rani Osman dalam sidang media di pejabatnya hari ini. Turut hadir dalam sidang media tersebut ialah timbalan pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor Khalid Samad, Setiausaha Dr Khairuddin Othman dan ketua penerangan PAS negeri, Saari Sungib. Dr Abdul Rani - salah seorang ahli politik yang tidak disambung tempoh tauliahnya - mengetahui perkara ini melalui liputan media sahaja. Oleh sebab itu, katanya, pihaknya mahukan penjelasan lanjut mengenai perkara itu dalam pertemuan tersebut. "Kita masih tertanya-tanya... Bagi alasan mengapa (tidak sambung). Kita nak tahu," kata beliau yang juga ADUN Meru. Khalid yang juga ahli parlimen Shah Alam mencelah dengan berkata, perkara yang akan turut dibincangkan ialah mengenai penjelasan takrifan "mengajar" dalam masjid dan surau. Katanya, jika mengajar itu adalah bercakap tentang Islam, maka semua orang tidak boleh bercakap, kecuali mereka yang mempunyai tauliah. "Jadi Islam sekadar diajar dirumah... Islam (seolah-olah) digari, diletakkan dikandang orang bersalah dan hanya cakap di rumah sahaja dengan anak-anak dan isteri. "Jadi ia perlu diperjelaskan. Ini yang akan kita bincang dengan JAIS. "Kita mahu rakyat bercakap tentang Islam. Kalau ada salah, ambil tindakan," katanya. Khalid berkata, tidak ada syarat dan "garispanduan" khusus dalam pemberian tauliah, kecuali menghadiri temuduga dan terpulang kepada JAIS untuk menimbangkannya. Sementara itu, Khalid juga menasihatkan umat Islam supaya "tidak melenting atau membuat kesimpulan" berhubungan laporan siasatan lengkap JAIS terhadap Gereja Methodist Damansara Utama (DUMC) 3 Ogos lalu. Dilaporkan laporan lengkap siasatan itu tersebut dihantar kepada Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim beberapa hari lalu. "Tunggu laporan dan tindakan selanjutnya... (Cuma) kita khuatir ada pihak yang mengapi-apikan suasana tanpa sebarang bukti dan maklumat (tepat). "Kita ikut undang-undang. Menteri besar akan mengadap Tuanku Sultan dan akan berbincang tentang laporan ini. Atas (keputusan) perbincangan itu, akan diputuskan tindakan seterusny," kata Khalid. Tambahnya, sekiranya ada pendakwaan, beliau menasihatkan agar rakyat menunggu sehingga selesai proses undang-undang itu diselesaikan supaya "kehendak undang-undang" dapat bergerak dengan baik. Dr Abdul Rani turut mengucapkan tahniah kepada JAIS kerana menghantar laporan tersebut kepada menteri besar.

Zaki: Gaji hakim lebih rendah dari peguam Posted: 21 Sep 2011 11:15 PM PDT Tun Zaki Azmi berkata, beliau berjaya melantik enam orang peguam sebagai hakim kanan, sepanjang tiga tahun perkhidmatannya sebagai ketua hakim negara. Jumlah itu dilihat agak besar, namun Zaki berkata usaha berkenaan bukanlah perkara mudah kerana peguam berkenaan terpaksa menerima bayaran gaji yang lebih rendah. "Saya mahu ambil lebih ramai lagi. Dua orang lagi. Saya cuba ajak mereka (supaya sertai kehakiman). (Tapi) di saat terakhir mereka menolak. Gaji tak cukup," katanya kepada Malaysiakini dalam satu wawancara. Menurutnya, peguam yang berkualiti boleh meraih pendapatan lebih RM1 juta setahun. "Tiba-tiba, (bila) mereka jadi hakim gaji mereka RM400,000 (setahun). Siapa yang mahu? Proton Saga atau Proton Perdana?," katanya. Satu cara penyelesaiannya, hakim perlulah menerima imbuhan yang setimpal, kata Zaki. Beliau tidak menjelaskan sistem tangga gaji untuk para hakim, namun Zaki percaya, hakim yang baru dilantik boleh menerima bayaran gaji yang lebih tinggi daripada Ketua Setiausaha Negara. Dalam tempoh beliau mengetuai cabang kehakiman, Zaki menjangkakan bahawa gaji para hakim telah dinaikkan sehingga 40 peratus. Namum, bukan hakim sahaja yang mendapat kenaikan gaji. Pindaan kepada Akta Saraan Hakim 1971 yang diluluskan pada Julai lalu membolehkan empat orang hakim paling kanan berkhidmat dalam tempoh yang lebih pendek untuk mendapat bayaran pencen penuh. Pindaan berkenaan menggariskan bahawa hakim tersebut hanya perlu berkhidmat selama tiga tahun, berbanding sepuluh tahun sebelum ini. Secara kebetulan, Zaki sebelum ini dilantik sebagai Presiden Mahkamah Rayuan dan kemudiannya sebagai Ketua Hakim Negara pada 2007, sebelum bersara pada 14 September lalu pada usia 66 tahun. Pindaan berkenaan berkuatkuasa pada 1 Januari 2009. Zaki ketika bercakap di satu persidangan kehakiman awal bulan ini telah menafikan dakwaan beberapa peguam bahawa pindaan tersebut dibuat untuk kepentingan dirinya. Katanya, pindaan tersebut dijalankan untuk kepentingan hakim terdahulu seperti bekas ketua hakim negara Tun Salleh Abas, serta bekas ketua hakim Sabah dan Sarawak, Tan Sri Steve Shim dan Tan Sri Mohamad Jemuri Serjan. Zaki memberitahu Malaysiakini bahawa dakwaan berhubung pindaan tersebut, didakwa melayakkan beliau mendapat bayaran ex-gratia sebanyak RM2 juta, adalah that "sampah semata-mata." [Baca berita penuh]

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Bkt Kepong: What happened to academic license? Posted: 21 Sep 2011 01:34 AM PDT I wish to respond to the hotly debated topic of the Mat Sabu interpretation of the Bukit Kepong incident and the fact that he was recently arrested and charged by the police force. My point in this short essay is simply; will we, academics face the same future as Mat Sabu for not supporting mainstream interpretation of not only history but also other social and religious matters? I have been an academic for 24 years and in the field of architectural history and philosophy. I have differed in so many issues from that of mainstream academia, architectural fraternity and religious authorities to the point that I have lost count! From now on, should I look over my back for a police radio car everytime I criticise mosque designs, housing policies, campus designs or the prime minister's office architecture in Putrajaya? From what I understand of Mat Sabu's position in this matter, he is simply saying that there are other people who were the first and also those who were most industrious at fighting the colonialist (or 'protectors'?) rather than Umno. Although I am not an expert in Malaysia's history, what I gather from reading books such as those written by Prof Khoo Kay Kim, there were a few groups who were seeking independence from the British. One was the Islamists who were the most active group whilst the other were such as those who wish to set up the Melayu-Raya idea as part of Indonesia. Mat Sabu mentions that there were also those who believed in communism who were also joining the struggle. In one sense it is quite easy to accept the statement that these were the original independence fighters. What is the problem? Of course now the contention is that we were not colonised but 'invited' or 'protected' by the British. That was news to me! Though I accept the explanation but I prefer Prof Dr Aziz Bari's statements and Farish Noor's writings that said in practice we were colonised. Raja Petra also published the Office of the Colonial Administration regarding Malaya. Whatever it is this has been a lively eye opener to a novice history student such as I. For the government to brand Mat Sabu as a a citizen who seems to be like some kind of traitor, to me is simply an overexuberence of political statements that has become the normal practice and I took no notice of it. But what irked and shocked me was when Mat Sabu was arrested! Will I be arrested for stating that philosophically our mosque designs are not within the Prophet's spirit of moderation? Will I be arrrested for saying that we can learn a lot from Frank Lloyd Wright's church designs and adapt the organic architecture philosophy to mosque design? Will I be charged in court for having the opinion that for a democratic country, Putrajaya shows a complete disregard for democracy in its planning and architectural approaches? Will I be stripped of my citizenship for saying that in campus design, UTM Skudai is totally student-unfriendly and that Taylors University is the best student-friendly design? I could go on and on for a few thousand more words about what I disagree in matters of architecture and many others on education, politics and religion. Those are merely the tip of the iceberg. I recall sitting in Dewan Sultan Iskandar and watched Dr. Mahathir being conferred a honorary doctorate by UTM and listening intently to Mahathir' rendition of Malaysia's economic and political history. I remember squirming in my seat when Mahathir criticised the monarchy for 'giving in' to the colonialists and preferring getting a pension rather standing with the people. The Sultanah of Johor was sitting barely 2 metres away! Now that was sheer academic guts! That was one thing I admired about Mahathir. In his paper, Mahathir never made any academic referencing and his paper would be thrown out in a thesis viva. But I do respect his viewpoint that was laced with his own interpretations of historical events. I have also read Lee Kuan Yew's version of the Singapore story and learned a great deal not about historical events in Singapore, Malaya and Malaysia but also I learned about his own interpretation of who actually caused the racial riots. I am still suspending my judgement on that issue until I have read a great deal more. So now what will happen to academia? Is it not enough that our Secondary school history books are interpreted in a singular manner that now even academics must support the winning political party's view of things? If so, we should close down our universities and start sending our children across the shores for real education. What is the National Professors' Council stand on the arrest of Mat Sabu, I wonder... I know that most of the NPC views usually seems to 'echo' the view of the ruling party. But perhaps they should clearly make a stand on what it means to have or have not; an academic license.

ISA reforms: More than a political smokescreen? Posted: 21 Sep 2011 12:19 AM PDT Credit must be given to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for announcing the abolition of the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA), the lifting of three states of emergencies and along with that the Emergency Ordinance. It is our hope that without these laws, detention without trial in Malaysia shall now forever be confined to the annals of history. The prime minister has won his plaudits, most noticeably from the United States, and rightfully so. I mean why not give the man credit for what he appears to be doing, even if it is for the wrong reasons? If our nation, which has been plagued by oppressive laws even before independence, can boast ourselves to be a progressive democracy, the detention of political leaders, NGO heads, and not forgetting newspaper reporters has to been gotten rid of. Naturally this optimism of reforms have been dampened somewhat by his announcement that there shall be two alternative laws which would then place preventative measures in place to counter terrorism, safeguarding public order and put in place race relations legislation. The fear is that these laws may be sufficiently ambiguous for politicians to be detained without trial under the purview of these new laws. De facto law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz announced that these laws would not be repressive, but as I know the learned minister would understand that this is wholly dependent on the scope of these laws and their enforcement. Furthermore, the two safeguards Nazri mentioned are sufficiently ambiguous that they can be subject to abuse. The first safeguard is that one cannot be detained on the basis of political belief. The second is that extended detention can only be approved by the courts. The first safeguard is purely the subject of interpretation. Where the police would see fit to charge a politician giving a ceramah regarding views that he or she may have about religious practice, under the new law they can be detained. I would go so far to submit that there no one was detained under the ISA based purely on political beliefs or alignment. Looking at the history of ISA detention, it is more as to what they had said, written or done which had landed them in hot soup with the government, not so much their political leanings. When elements of speeches can be taken out of context and the charges framed to interpret those elements as subversive, inciting racial hatred or disruptive to public order, charges under the new laws can certainly be laid. Perhaps the second issue, which is the judiciary, would be of another concern. This would be a safeguard only if we knew our judiciary was an independent body. With the farce of the Anwar Ibrahim case continuing, public opinion would not favour the judiciary to protect the interests of the public rather than the government of that day. If we were to have an independent and competent judiciary, our legal system would flourish. Would there still be bias? Certainly. However, we shall be assured that there would be no element of coercion for judges to make decisions pleasing to their political masters. In order for the prime minister to prove the sincerity about the reforms to be made, he should also ensure that there should be stringent laws enforced against any interference in the judicial process. Judicial reforms would additionally have a positive impact on the economy and boost foreign investor confidence. Perhaps the subsequent string of attacks on the opposition parties was not particularly fair. Yes, Najib is responsible for announcing the abolition of the ISA, but the constant pressure from the opposition, NGOs and the rakyat certainly led to the action finally being taken. Smear campaigns are certainly part of politics and Pakatan Rakyat has to quickly re-brand and re-position themselves for the upcoming elections. There is no doubt that the prime minister's image has improved as a result of this, but will it be a political smokescreen or is it possible that the BN leadership can actually show some forward thinking? We will be watching closely. DOUGLAS TAN received his law degree from the University of Nottingham. He blogs at dougtan.blospot.com

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Najib, Rosmah buat permohonan tolak sepina Posted: 20 Sep 2011 10:57 PM PDT Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan isterinya Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor dijangka memfailkan permohonan untuk menolak sepina yang mewajibkan mereka untuk tampil sebagai saksi pada perbicaraan liwat yang membabitkan ketua pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang sedang berlangsung. Menurut sumber yang memaklumkan Malaysiakini, pasangan itu akan memfailkan permohonan mereka pada hari ini. Butiran mengenai permohonan itu setakat ini tidak jelas. Masa mereka akan memfailkan permohonan itu juga belum diketahui. [Baca berita penuh]

Wakil rakyat BN 'berkubu' di S'gor Posted: 20 Sep 2011 10:55 PM PDT Kira-kira 240 wakil rakyat BN di seluruh negara hari ini 'berkubu' di Kuala Selangor dalam permukiman mereka di 891 peti undi dalam rangka merampas kembali negeri itu dari Pakatan Rakyat. Permukiman yang berlangsung selama tiga hari hingga Jumaat ini diadakan dalam usaha memastikan kemenangan BN dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang. "Dalam permukiman itu, kita menghantar semua ADUN di peti-peti undi yang telah dikenalpasti bagi menghadapi pilihan raya umum akan datang. "Mereka menyusun jentera, berjumpa dan membantu peti undi tersebut termasuk mengadakan perjumpaan dengan pemimpin BN di peringkat bahagian, (dan) menyusun rancangan di peti undi itu," kata anggota urus setia pemukinan itu yang enggan namanya dinyatakan. Urus setia itu juga memberitahu Malaysiakini, ADUN 'angkat' yang dikenalpasti akan bermukim di semua peti undi dan dikehendaki menghantar laporan kepada BN negeri selepas itu. Urusetia berkata permukiman tersebut akan dirasmikan oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak malam esok di Perkarangan Tesco di Kuala Selangor jam 8.30 malam. [Berita penuh menyusul]

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Penggunaan perkataan 'tak tepat' dalam berita Posted: 20 Sep 2011 01:20 AM PDT Saya merujuk laporan berita bertajuk "Menteri Besar enggan dedah laporan penuh Jais" yang disiarkan di Malaysiakini pada 19 September 2011. Saya mendapati perkataan 'enggan' yang digunakan pada laporan itu telah menimbulkan salah faham dan salah tanggapan orang ramai terhadap kenyataan yang dibuat oleh Menteri Besar. Perkataan 'enggan' yang digunakan dalam laporan berita itu seolah-olah menunjukkan Menteri Besar dengan sengaja tidak mahu atau menolak daripada mendedahkan isi kandungan laporan JAIS. Ketika ditanya wartawan pada Majlis Sambutan Aidilfitri anjuran PKNS, semalam, Menteri Besar menjelaskan bahawa beliau tidak boleh mendedahkan sebarang kandungan laporan itu sebelum perbincangan diadakan dengan DYMM Sultan Selangor. Beliau dengan jelas menyatakan bahawa sebarang komen atau pendedahan laporan Jais hanya boleh dibuat pada minggu depan selepas mengadakan perbincangan dan mendapat nasihat daripada DYMM Sultan Selangor terlebih dahulu. Kami amat berharap pihak editorial lebih berhati-hati menggunakan perkataan dalam setiap laporan berita untuk mengelak salah faham orang ramai. Penulis merupakan setiausaha politik kepada menteri besar Selangor.

Harap janji dapat ditunaikan Posted: 19 Sep 2011 07:33 PM PDT Seperti tersedar daripada mimpi apabila Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak mengumunkan ISA akan dimansuhkan pada Hari Malaysia 2011. Berita ini membawa satu kejutan kepada masyarakat Malaysia kerana tidak terdapat sebarang berita mengenai pemansuhan bagi akta tersebut sebelum ini. Walau bagaimanapun, masyarakat Malaysia menunggu ketibaan pengumunan ini untuk tempoh masa yang panjang supaya dapat melangkah ke arah demokrasi yang sebenarnya lalu bersaing dengan negara-negara maju yang lain di mana kebebasan untuk bersuara mahupun berhimpun merupakan salah satu unsur yang penting untuk kemajuan dan transformasi bagi sesebuah negara. Keputusan yang dianggap berani dan terbuka tersebut mendapat sambutan yang agar baik daripada kalangan rakyat Malaysia. Namun, keputusan yang muktamad masih perlu menunggu untuk diluluskan oleh Dewan Rakyat yang akan dijalankan. Sejak ISA dilaksanakan pada tahun 1960 telah membawa peristiwa yang dikatakan mengecewakan hati rakyat apabila digunakan untuk menahan sesiapa sahaja tanpa melalui bicara mahkamah yang adil. Tindakan ini secara jelasnya telah melanggar hak asasi manusia yang paling asas. Demi menjadi sebuah negara yang maju mahupun mempunyai tahap demokrasi yang sihat, rakyat seharusnya diberikan hak bersuara dan berhimpun yang sepatutnya asalkan tindakan tersebut tidak menjejaskan ekonomi dan kesejahteraan negara. Para peminpin harus memberi peluang kepada rakyat untuk meluangkan pendapat dan menerima kritikan dengan hati yang terbuka. Masa pilihan raya Ke-13 dipercayai semakin mendekati, buat pertama sekali adik William akan menjadi salah seorang pengundi yang dapat memberi sedikit pengaruh untuk menentukan masa depan negara ini. Diharapkan pilihan raya yang akan diadakan ini adalah berbeza daripada pilihan raya yang lalu. Para peminpin harus memberi ruang yang lebih luas kepada rakyat untuk memberi pandangan dan pendapat yang bernas kepada pembangunan masa depan negara setelah ISA dimansuhkan. Peminpin yang sudi mendengar suara rakyat mampu menyerap pengetahuan mahupun cadangan yang berlainan sudut untuk menjadi satu arah untuk menjana transformasi pembangunan negara di arena globalisasi ini. Akhir kata, diharapkan janji daripada perdana menteri ini akan ditunaikan supaya rakyat tidak dikejutkan bahawa pengumunan tersebut hanya merupakan satu mimpi yang indah sahaja. Inilah masanya untuk negara melangkah ke satu destinasi yang baharu untuk menjadi sebuah negara yang mampu bertanding dengan negara-negara maju yang lain di dunia ini supaya demokrasi yang diusahakan oleh rakyat Malaysia dapat menjadi satu teladan kepada negara lain selain mencetak satu sejarah bagi negara ini. 16 September 2011 bukan saja meraikan Hari Malaysia tetapi juga "Kelahiran Demokrasi Baharu Malaysia." Seperti tema Merdeka bagi tahun ini, "Transformasi Berjaya, Rakyat Sejahtera".

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ISA: Don't cheer till new laws can be scrutinised Posted: 20 Sep 2011 03:05 AM PDT Anyone aware of Sun Tzu's 'Art of War' will know that a surprise indirect attack yields higher chances to success. In political warfare, adding a bit more of hypocrisy and media coverage will make the outcome even much better. Perhaps, that is Najib's latest recipe for the coming general election. On hypocrisy, let me highlight these points. Firstly, the draconian Internal Security Acts (ISA) is a violation of human rights and democracy. Thus, the country should not have had it in the first place, not to mention it being purposely and radically misused it by the BN government. So, what is the big deal? Abolishing the ISA is just correcting what the government has done wrong previously. Indeed, this removal of this draconian act should be accompanied with a formal apology to the victims and strong condemnation on those who established and misused it. The reason given by the minister is that those people are detained 'legally' as the ISA is still law. Nonetheless, is this so-called law morally correct and justified when democracy and human rights are taken into consideration? Detention through ISA may be legally correct, yet the agenda behind the usage of that draconian law is strongly questionable. The treatment to detainees is another mockery of the nation's legislation and human rights practices. Secondly, the prime minister's claim of having two new laws to replace the ISA should be read with caution. Will they be different from the one they are going to replace? If Najib is sincere in wanting to abolish ISA, why must there be other 'replacements'? Further, the removal only can be done next year. Does that mean if BN does not win the coming election (should it be held this year), they still can use the ISA to turn around the results. Thirdly, there many other ways to curb opposing views, such as using the laws on sedition and defamation. The former has already been widely used while the latter has bankrupted many opposition leaders in Singapore. Besides, BN can still rely on Utusan Malaysia, Perkasa and Malay ultras to cause tension as a warning for opposing the rule of BN. Fourth, there are other restrictions on Malaysians other than on human rights. Every day and night we live in fear of theft and crime. On the roads, our rights are suppressed in order to avoid possible violent acts by road bullies. We cannot use public parking spaces as they are being illegally occupied by illegal car jockeys, eateries and car repair shops. Illegal 'Ah Long' advertisements have taken over our cities, including road signboards. These are also the rakyat's basic freedoms and rights that are denied due to the inaction of federal, state and local government and their agencies. Thus, as Teresa Kok (MP for Seputeh) warned, welcome Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's political reforms with caution. Not long ago, those BN top fellows swore to protect their reign with blood. So, do we believe that they would reform laws not favouring them? If 1Malaysia was the top hypocrisy last year, do we expect these political reforms announced on Malaysia Day to come out tops this year?

New laws to replace ISA must uphold human rights Posted: 20 Sep 2011 01:57 AM PDT In response to the Prime Minister's suggestion that the Internal Security Act be replaced with two new laws, I urge him to disclose more details as to the breadth and depth of the new laws. This is required not just to dispel any suspicion that the two new laws will replicate the draconian functions of the ISA, but also by making the drafting of these new laws an open and transparent process, show that he is sincere in democratic reform. DAP, Pakatan Rakyat, along with human rights advocates have been strongly against the ISA because it is a political tool used to silence dissent. Over many years the ISA and other legislations that allow for detention without trial have been used to detain opposition politicians including elected MPs, dissident academics, social activists, and even journalists reporting facts. These people have never, at any point in their lives, posed any threat to the security of this nation. Yet, their freedom was taken away for years. I hope that any new law that is being drafted must remove the arbitrary and absolute powers of the minister in charge. For a ruling party politician who has vested political interests to hold such powers, effectively making him/her the prosecutor and the judge simultaneously, this goes against the doctrine of separation of powers. There must be checks and balances in the form of an independent judiciary as well as the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). If the new laws fail to address the problem of unchecked authority, it will be deemed a complete failure in terms of democratic reform. Detention without trial takes away the right of the accused to defend him/herself. Hurt and suffering is brought not only on detainees but also their families. In this regard, I urge for any new laws that are to be introduced to take on a human face and uphold basic human rights as accorded under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A person suspected of a crime is not guilty until and unless proven in a court of law. Najib and his cabinet should spend more time improving the functions of our police and other enforcement agencies and no longer accept the trivial excuse that a lack of evidence necessitates detention without trial. CHOW KON YEOW is Member of Parliament, Tanjong, a Penang state exco member and state assemblyperson, Padang Kota. He is also Penang DAP State Chairman.

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