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Police sexually harassed PSM women detainees Posted: 24 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT While we note the attorney general's decision to not proceed with the charges against the PSM 30, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) would like to highlight the appalling treatment accorded to the PSM women who were arrested and detained in relation to the same case. The allegations of abuse made by these women, who had been arrested at the Sungai Dua toll and subsequently detained at the Kepala Batas police station in Penang on 25th of June 2011, have still not been addressed. Three of these women have alleged police misconduct and maltreatment to Suhakam and Bukit Aman. JAG is appalled to learn that in addition to the physical and verbal abuse as well as intimidation that these women underwent, two of them were also subjected to sexual harassment. The women have alleged physical forms of sexual harassment which include having their clothes pulled open to expose parts of their body, being made to remove undergarments and change into lock up clothes in the presence of male police officers and being inappropriately fondled by a woman police officer. In addition to the above, the women have also alleged that they were subjected to sexual innuendos and inappropriate comments during their questioning, including the following: "Awak tidak ada nafsu terhadap mana-mana lelaki? Awak telah adakan seks dengan siapa-siapa kah? Buat seks boleh dapat anak mengapa nak kahwin? You boleh tahan ke tak ada seks dengan suami? Sudah seminggu tiada seks, nanti balik ada seks dengan lelaki nanti beritahu saya apa perasaan kamu semasa buat seks? Pasal kamu lah saya tak boleh [expletive deleted] dengan suami saya, hari-hari saya berada di sini." (Are you attracted to any of the men? Have you had sex with anyone? If you can have children after having sex, why get married? Can you stand not being able to have sex with your husbands? It's been a week without sex, when you go home and have sex, let me know how it feels when you are doing it. Because of you cannot go home to have sex with my husband, every day I have to stay here (to watch over you)) These alleged actions are a clear violation of the basic rights and dignity of the women. Furthermore they show direct police misconduct against the applicable laws on treatment of detainees as stated in the Criminal Procedure Code in Sections 19, 20A and Schedule Four as well as in Rule 44 of the Lock Up Rules 1953. We appreciate that under police detention and investigation, certain lawful actions in handling and interrogating these women may be necessary. However, this does not negate a person's right to fair and decent treatment, irrespective of their social economic background, marital status, ethnicity, religion or the alleged crime. The allegations made by the PSM women raise, once again, serious questions not just about the lack of professionalism but also about the abuse of police powers. The sexual harassment of detainees in any police lock-up is unacceptable. It is not merely conduct unbecoming of police officers, these alleged actions are in themselves criminal acts punishable under the Penal Code. JAG calls for an immediate investigation into these allegations and if proven, action must be taken against the perpetrators. Furthermore JAG calls for regular education and training of police officers on the rights of those being detained. The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) comprises: Women's Centre for Change, (WCC) Penang Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) Perak Women for Women Society (PWW) Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower) Sabah Women's Action Resource Group (Sawo) Sisters in Islam (SIS) All Women's Action Society (Awam)

Hudud hoohah more an MCA-Gerakan sandiwara Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:46 PM PDT It is a known and incontestable fact that Umno - as the backbone of the BN government - cannot and does not oppose the implementation of hudud in Kelantan. Either Umno is for or against hudud in Kelantan. In all reality, there is no third political option readily open to Umno or the BN. The DPM (PM-in-waiting) says that Malaysia is not yet ready for hudud. He would not say that Kelantan is not ready. Is there any veritable Umno member or leader who has stood, or will stand, up to say that Kelantan is not 'ready' for hudud? No, not even our sometimes-rambunctious minister Nazri Aziz. Hence, the MCA and Gerakan should immediately follow up on their threats to divorce Umno. Leave the Barisan now. Otherwise, they risk looking like battered wives who would make daily threats to leave their wife-beating husbands and yet never do. Umno cannot and does not oppose hudud in Kelantan. How is that different from the PAS stand? Can PAS single-handedly realise hudud in Kelantan without Umno? Can it ever be said that either the MCA and/or Gerakan is as equal a partner to Umno in Barisan as is PAS to PKR or the DAP in Pakatan? Will the MCA or Gerakan, given their 50-year-old unbroken record of obedience to Umno, end up playing an even greater vicarious role in the realisation of hudud in Kelantan than either PKR or the DAP ever will? Having made such public threats against Umno, the MCA and Gerakan will no doubt find themselves in a real Malaysian political anomaly. Pakatan, vis-à-vis its de facto chairman Anwar Ibrahim, also does not oppose hudud in Kelantan. Thus, if and when the MCA and Gerakan do carry out their threats to leave the Barisan, they obviously cannot - upon the same stated principle - embrace Pakatan as well. In the light of this possible anomaly, perhaps it might be (or would have been) better for the MCA and Gerakan to keep still and be silent like the MIC and PPP (or the PBS in Sabah or Kita in God-knows-where). At least the MIC and PPP know their humble fates and little destinies. Unless, of course, the MCA and Gerakan believe that they are big enough and can somehow survive outside Barisan or Pakatan. They can try. That is if they can get along with each other in the first place. Perchance - in all this entertaining brouhaha - the political instigators and agitators par excellence from Perkasa are right for once after all. That it is all a 'sandiwara' or 'wayang kulit' (the local equivalent for which in Penang would be a screaming session of 'Hokkien Pahn' or 'Teowchew Pahn' with masks, costumes, painted faces and the attending vocal melodies.)

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Tiada cadangan laksana hudud di Selangor Posted: 23 Sep 2011 05:00 AM PDT Kerajaan Selangor tidak bercadang untuk melaksanakan hukum hudud di negeri ini, kata Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. Katanya, setakat ini tiada keputusan berkaitan dibuat, termasuk daripada Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS) yang merupakan badan tertinggi agama Islam negeri. "Selangor hanya akan melakukan apa-apa perubahan polisi agama Islam selepas mendapat nasihat dan juga cadangan daripada MAIS. "Sehingga kini MAIS tidak ada membuat keputusan mengenai perkara ini," katanya kepada pemberita selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat exco di bangunan SUK, Shah Alam lewat petang tadi. Ditanya sama ada kerajaan Selangor bersetuju sekiranya hukum hudud dilaksanakan di negara ini, Khalid mengulangi bahawa di Selangor tiada keputusan dibuat. Beliau juga enggan mengulas berhubung usaha melaksanakan undang-undang itu di Kelantan yang dipimpin sebuah lagi parti dalam gabungan pembangkang PAS. "Saya tidak akan komen mengenai perkara itu," ujarnya sambil ketawa kecil. Ditanya mengenai kenyataan Menteri Besar Kelantan, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat mahu DAP keluar daripada PAS sekiranya tidak bersetuju pelaksanaan hudud, beliau masih enggan membuka mulut. "Saya rasa saya tidak perlu komen perkara itu," kata Khalid lagi.

SPR tidak boleh cuci tangan, kata BERSIH Posted: 23 Sep 2011 05:00 AM PDT Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) tidak boleh cuci tangan terhadap dakwaan mengenai pengakuan bekas pengerusinya bahawa 60,000 warga asing yang memiliki kad pengenalan "palsu" telah menjadi pengundi, kata Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (BERSIH 2.0) hari ini. SPR perlu menjalankan tugasnya mengapa ia membenarkan mereka ini didaftarkan sebagai pengundi, kata anggota Jawatankuasa Pemandu BERSIH 2.0, A Pillay Subramaniam (kiri). "Mungkin kesalahan itu terletak pada Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN), kerana mengeluarkan KP yang menjadikan mereka, secara rasmi, sebagai warganegara. Ini adalah sebahagian daripada dakwaan 'Projek IC' di Sabah untuk memberi kerakyatan kepada pendatang baru di negeri ini, yang terdiri daripada rakyat Indonesia dan Filipina. "SPR tidak boleh cuci tangan kerana ia telah diamanahkan untuk memantau daftar pemilih. Jika ia tidak melakukan ini, ia mewujudkan ketidakseimbangan. "Mesti ada komunikasi yang lebih baik dan kerjasama antara JPN dan SPR untuk menyelesaikan masalah ini dan ia (proses pendaftaran pengundi) perlu diperketatkan sekarang," kata Subramaniam. Katanya, sebagai badan awam yang mesti bebas, SPR dan JPN, perlu mengakui kesilapan mereka dan menjalankan siasatan. Mereka, tambahnya, tidak boleh lari atau membebaskan diri daripada kesalahan tersebut. [Baca berita penuh]

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Hold national referendum on PPSMI issue Posted: 22 Sep 2011 10:58 PM PDT I refer to letter by TBH entitiled 'What is Pakatan's stand on PPSMI' dated Sept 13. There has been so much concern expressed by the people about PPSMI (Teaching and learning of science and maths in English) and MBMMBI. We hear and read about it almost everyday. Naturally, parents are the most concerned about this issue as the future of their children is at stake. Some are in support of reverting to the PPSMI system whereas some are not that keen and there some who want English medium schools to be re-introduced, like in the old days. We also read and hear of people complaining about the decline in the standard of English in schools and universities and demand that something be done about it. I believe that a referendum should be held to determine once and for all whether we should revert back to PPSMI or otherwise. Let the people decide on this issue and not politicians. Anyway it is they and their children who are directly affected by it. As our prime minister has said "the days of the government knows best is over", we should therefore strongly consider holding a referendum. Currently, the issue has become political in nature and as such we should take politics out of education and let the people decide. Therefore, I feel that Pakatan's stand on this issue is really not important. Referendum or plebiscites are a norm in Western democracies. In fact at this time and era when people have become more aware of their rights and are more aware of what they want, referendums should be the way to go in deciding important national issues. Jeyaseelen Anthony is local councillor for Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya.

Zaid may believe in Najib, but Kita does not Posted: 22 Sep 2011 09:31 PM PDT Zaid Ibrahim is a one man show. He did not consult the central working committee on the road show for Najib. Many leaders of Kita are enraged with his apple polishing antics. It has come to a crying shame, and he is leading Kita in the wrong direction. I must repeat, Kita is not Zaid Ibrahim and he is not Kita. Kita is a social justice movement aimed at setting things straight in Malaysia. Kita is fundamentally an opposition, it makes no sense for Kita to support the Prime Minister who has clearly lost the people's confidence. Barisan Nasional killed democracy, Nazri Aziz admitted that the ISA was used to detain individuals of different political ideology, how can we expect the very reason why our democracy is rotting to save it? It would be against logic for Najib to win the next elections. Since he took the premiership there has been nothing but scandals involving the government and his wife; Scorpene submarines, the Perak take over, the cow head incident, church burnings, the banning of the Al-Kitab, PKFZ, APCO, the Selangor water issue, Menara Warisan, Lynas, and Altantunya and Teo Beng Hock's deaths. The rakyat on the other hand have witnessed how Najib, his ministers and the police lie confidently to the rakyat. We are also aware of how disgusting the government controlled media is, their news papers play up racial sentiments, their TV stations air pornography, and their radio stations think it's cool to have the PM do a stupid prank call. The police goes on a shooting frenzy, the MACC has two unexplained deaths, crime is abundant, the economy is getting worse, prices of just about everything keeps going up, even the indigenous people are giving the government the middle finger. He appointed Isa Samad who was found guilty for money politics in Umno to lead Felda. He appoints funny people like Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor as senator, the legal advisor to Umno is now chief justice. While Taib Mahmud has an international scandal, Ng Yen Yen spends RM1.8 million for Facebook, and Najib's wife has rings to buy. They arrest people allegedly trying to revive communism while he shakes hands with Communist China's leaders. He outlaws Bersih 2.0, detains people who have different political ideas, and talks about making Malaysia the best democracy in the world? And Zaid Ibrahim is expecting him to save democracy? Really, for real… what do they think of this nation? The young of this country are not stupid, we feel disrespected, and Barisan Nasional will pay dearly in the coming elections. Maybe Zaid Ibrahim believes in Najib, but Kita does not believe in Najib. Barisan Nasional is failing big time, and Kita wants nothing to do with it. Zaid Ibrahim can talk for himself, he can polish all the apples he wants, but Kita will not follow. There is no Kita road show for Najib, Zaid can call it the Royal Malaysian Circus for all we care. I suggest Zaid leave Kita and return to his roots in Umno; we no longer need him. I also take this opportunity to call upon all youth leaders from all organisations to step up admit our flaws as a nation and let us work together to set things right. We have a nation build. Mohd Zahrein Zakariah is a central executive committee member of Parti Kita.

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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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