The Christian Federation of Malaysia said it was "fed up" with the government's refusal to allow the distribution of Bibles.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia claims that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's promise that there would be no ban on the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible had been ignored by the authorities.

CFM, the umbrella body for almost all Christian groups in the country, said the premier decided last year that the scriptures would be allowed to be distributed freely, at least in Sabah and Sarawak.

This was communicated to CFM leaders by several cabinet members and their aides in December 2009, according to CFM's chairperson Bishop Ng Moon Hing.

Ng said that following the impoundment of another consignment of 5,000 copies of the scriptures last year, Najib was informed of the matter.

“When told about the continued impoundment of these 5,000 Bibles at a high-tea event last Christmas, (the premier) expressed surprise that the order to release the same held in Port Klang had not been implemented.

“However, nothing has been done by the authorities to ensure their release,” said Ng.

In all, Ng said that 30,000 copies remain impounded at Port Klang and the Port of Kuching. The Bible, in its Bahasa Malaysia form, is called Perjanjian Baru, Mazmur dan Amsal (New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs).

The rare rebuke by the Christian Federation of Malaysia signals growing impatience among the religious minority in a years-old dispute over the government's ban on the use of the word "Allah" as a translation for God in Malay-language Bibles and religious texts.

Christians were "greatly disillusioned, fed up and angered by the repeated detention of Bibles," the federation said in a statement. "It would appear as if the authorities are waging a continuous, surreptitious and systematic program against Christians in Malaysia to deny them access to the Bible" in the Malay language.

Home Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment, but the government has repeatedly denied being unfair. In another recent incident, the ministry acknowledged it had barred the entry of imported Bibles but denied they were seized, saying the importer had simply failed to claim them from the port.

The trouble stems from the government's stance that the use of "Allah" in non-Muslim texts could confuse Muslims and even entice them to convert. Nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people are Malay Muslims, while 25 percent are ethnic Chinese and 8 percent are Indians. Ethnic minorities are mostly Christian, Buddhist or Hindu.

A court ruled in December 2009 that Christians have the constitutional right to use the word "Allah." The government has appealed the verdict, but no hearings have been scheduled.

The dispute caused a brief surge in tensions in January 2010, when 11 churches were attacked by firebombs amid anger among some Muslims over the court ruling.

PM Najib must tackle racial division !

After almost two years in office, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is cutting an international image as a modern, progressive, moderate Muslim leader bent on closing the widening ethnic and religious divide that is threatening his country's future.

During a visit to secular Turkey last week, Mr Najib trumpeted Malaysia's credentials, saying it had proved that its system of governance based on moderate Islam had worked and could be a good model for other countries to emulate, especially Islamic countries.

He said the success of a system was not just about numbers but also about whether it could improve the quality of life, and about good values, ensuring fairness, rule of law, being inclusive, having a social safety net and caring for the poor.

This certainly is good news for Australia. Like Indonesia, the well-being of Malaysia is of paramount importance, given our links.

Since coming to power, Mr Najib, who is in Canberra on his first official visit to Australia, has pledged more transparency in government and reached out to the 28 million population - made up of 60 per cent Malays, 26 per cent Chinese and 10 per cent Indians - with inclusive policies such as the 1Malaysia concept which is aimed at uniting the people to work as one nation.

Last March, he launched his New Economic Model to cut red tape to promote greater private investment and domestic competition and reduce the state role in the economy as well as improve education programs to increase the number of skilled workers.

More radical is his declaration to wind back affirmative action policies that ironically were introduced by his father as prime minister in 1970 to empower Malays after race riots in 1969.

This policy switch is long overdue after more than 40 years of special privileges and racial quotas in business, government jobs, education and housing that have alienated many of the country's Chinese and Indians and led to a brain drain as thousands of skilled and professional people have moved to Australia, the US, Canada and Britain.

But Mr Najib's visionary 1Malaysia will come to nought so long as Malaysia's political parties, government and opposition alike, zealously continue to play the race and religious cards.

As Malaysian blogger-in-exile and whistleblower Raja Petra Kamaruddin observes, Malaysia's Malay politicians are mostly trying to outdo each other to show they are more Malay and more Muslim than the other guy. This in turn has bred suspicion and distrust and the people are drifting apart.

It does not help when disciplinary action is not taken after a school's Malay principal tells a group of Chinese students eating lunch during the fasting month of Ramadan to go back to China.

And what do you make of a fatwa against Muslims observing Valentine's Day, entertainers being banned because their dress is too short, women being threatened with the cane for drinking beer or having sex out of wedlock and churches and Hindu temples having to battle increasing restrictions?

The US International Religious Freedom Report 2010 says religious minorities continued to face limitations on religious expression, even though the Malaysian constitution provides for freedom of religion.

Government policies promoted Islam above other religions and restricted distribution of Malay-language Christian materials.....more

Source:Malaysian PM must tackle racial division - By P.T. Singam

Malaysia: Indigenous tribespeople allow to challenge the acquisition of their ancestral land

The Federal Court's decision to allow indigenous tribespeople from Borneo the right to challenge the acquisition of their ancestral land has been hailed as a historic test case.

Their legal battle for native title began 12 years ago after the Sarawak government requisitioned land for the controversial Bakun dam and a timber pulpmill.

"Since we know that there are a lot of native lands which had been acquired and cases relating to such acquisition are pending in the court which are likely to be raised, we therefore decided to grant leave," Chief Justice Zaki Azmi said.

The Federal Court said it will begin hearing the arguments on April 28. Two separate cases, dealing with each of the Borneo projects, are being heard in tandem.

Lawyer and human rights activist Baru Bian, one of the campaigners who have propelled the case to the apex of Malaysia's justice system, welcomed the court's decision as "an initial victory".

"The decision to allow leave is indeed historic," he told AFP at the court.

"This is the first time the power of the state government extinguishing native customary rights over land in Sarawak is challenged - whether it is valid and constitutional."

The test case has been brought by members of tribes including the Iban, Kayan, Kenyah and Ukit peoples, some of the many ethnic groups living on Borneo, which is split between Malaysia, Indonesia and the sultanate of Brunei.

Baru Bian said the outcome would have major implications for around 200 cases currently lodged with lower courts, where indigenous people are fighting against the state for allegedly grabbing their ancestral land...more

“Ulcer” - the cause of deaths of detainees in lock-ups ?

It is becoming a trend for the police to cite “ulcer” as the cause of deaths of detainees in lock-ups, Kapar MP S Manikavasagam said.

“Previously, it was heart attacks. Now the trend is to cite ulcer as the cause of deaths of detainees,” he said.

Manikavasagam feared that there maybe more deaths in detention this year if nothing is done to address the serious problem. There were 160 deaths in detention from 2002 to 2010.

He said this after handing over a memorandum to the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar at Bukit Aman here this afternoon.

The memo calls for the police to investigate the cause of death of 26-year-old Khairul Amri Alias at the Sungai Buloh prison on Feb 17.

“The police said the cause of death was ulcer but his mother Zaleha Bahari said that she saw bruises on the back of her son’s body,” said Manikavasagam.

She denied her son was suffering from any sort of ailment, he said.

“We want the police to reveal the reason for arresting Khairul Amri,” said Manikavasagam. “They initially said it was for theft but they changed the charge to a drug-related offence.”

Khairul Amri, a fisherman from Jeram, Kuala Selangor, was detained on Feb 11. His mother visited him on Feb 15. Khairul was found dead in the wee hours of Feb 17.

Since 2000, at least 147 people have died in police custody (unless otherwise stated, statistics are from PDRM – released during P.Uthayakumar’s ongoing sedition trial) but yet there is little accountability, transparency or any real investigations by the authorities responsible, namely the courts, the police, the Attorney General’s Chambers and the hospitals which provide medical assistance or conduct post-mortems.

Despite the obvious seriousness of any death in custody, these important state institutions in most, if not all of these cases, chose to gloss, downplay, cover up, ignore or even make outrageous claims over these deaths – causing these institutions to lose credibility and public confidence.

And despite the long list of custodial deaths, very few policemen are criminally charged much less found guilty of any offence. Statistics between 2000 and February 2010 showed that 64 Malays died while in police custody, with 30 deaths among Chinese detainees, 28 Indians, 8 other races, and 14 foreigners. At least one thing you cannot accuse the police is that they practice discrimination – as all types of people die in their custody! (But probably not the rich, powerful and well connected).

Some of the reasons given for the cause of the deaths: 63 from “other diseases” such as ulcers, yellow fever (jaundice) and intestine, lung and throat infections, 23 were listed as “suicide” in the cells, and 12 deaths from brain hemorrhage, and 66 were termed as “no further action”. What century are we living in? Since when do people die from ulcers, jaundice and intestine, lung and throat infections? Do people for no apparent reason suddenly get brain hemorrhage and die?

Several Malaysian states are planning Valentine’s Day crackdown

Valentine's Day - HARAM dalam Islam

Several Malaysian states are planning a crackdown on “immoral acts” during Valentine’s Day as part of a campaign to encourage a sin-free lifestyle, an Islamic party leader Wednesday.

Authorities in the northern states of Kedah, Penang and Kelantan as well as central Selangor state will carry out “immorality checks” on February 14, said Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi, head of the Islamic party PAS’s youth wing.

PAS is part of the opposition alliance that won control of the four states in 2008 elections. Its conservative stance has caused friction with its two partners including the liberal Chinese-based Democratic Action Party.

“We have identified spots in these states which are used by lovers and we are deploying local religious department officials as well as party members to stop such sinful acts like casual sex which violates Islam,” Nasrudin told AFP.

He said authorities will take action against those caught in the dragnet, under Islamic laws that run in parallel with the civil justice system in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

“There have been campaigns promoting ‘no panties’ on Valentines Day and even free hotel room offers for unmarried couples. We must stop such practices here as these are sinful activities,” he added.

Nasrudin said PAS youth was also launching a campaign to promote a sin-free lifestyle during the period.

“We are not trying to stop love, but want to ensure that whatever Muslims in Malaysia do is moral and in keeping with our faith.”

PAS is known for its hardline stance on morality and in Kelantan, which the party rules in its own right, it has banned gambling, restricted the sale of alcohol and requires men and women to queue in separate lines at shops.

Source: AFP

Singapore, Malaysia and the WikiLeaks - the leak is finally leaked.

On Dec. 12, Asia Sentinel printed a story relating WikiLeaks revelations from Singapore diplomats about Malaysian political affairs, particularly concerning Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Because the cables have seemingly never been accessible through the various WikiLeaks websites and mirror sites, some readers have questioned whether they exist.

17. (S//NF) Turning briefly to Malaysia, the Australians said that Singapore's intelligence services and Lee Kuan Yew have told ONA in their exchanges that opposition leader Anwar "did indeed commit the acts for which he is currently indicted," citing unshared technical intelligence. ONA assessed, and their Singapore counterparts concurred, "it was a set up job-and he probably knew that, but walked into it anyway."

C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 000310 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2028 TAGS: PREL, MY, SN SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S DISCUSSION WITH MFA PERMSEC HO ON MALAYSIAN ELECTIONS REF: KUALA LUMPUR 160 (NOTAL) Classified By: Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold for reasons 1.4 (b,d). 1. (C) The Ambassador and MFA Permanent Secretary Peter Ho met over lunch on March 12, discussing issues including Singapore's perceptions of the elections in Malaysia (reftel.) Ho said that in Singapore "everybody was shocked" by the extraordinarily strong showing by the opposition in Malaysia. People knew that change was coming, perhaps one election down the road, but did not anticipate that change could come this fast. 2. (C) Ho said that on the ruling National Front (BN) side, PM Abdullah Badawi is probably done for politically, despite having been sworn in again as PM on March 10. Former PM Mahathir Mohamad will keep throwing stones at Abdullah. The political knives will be out for Abdullah's son-in-law UMNO politician Khairy Jamaluddin, whom nobody likes because he got where he is through family ties. As for Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, he is an opportunist. Although he has not been critical of Singapore, he will not hesitate to go in that direction if it is expedient for him to do so. Najib's political fortunes continue to be haunted by the Mongolian murder scandal. (Note: The scandal involves the ongoing trial of Najib's former political adviser Abdul Razak Baginda for abetting the 2006 murder of the Mongolian woman who had been Abdul Razak's ex-lover; two policemen from Najib's protective detail also are on trial for carrying out the murder. End Note.) The MIC's Samy Vellu bears a large share of the responsibility for the BN's poor showing in the elections. The Indian community's unhappiness, which helped create the current political dynamic in Malaysia, reflects the fact that Samy Vellu neglected the interests of the Indian community, even when its temples were being destroyed, focusing instead on his business activities in India, Ho said. 3. (C) Ho stated that on the opposition side, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came out of the elections in a strong position, as shown by the electoral victories by his wife (whom Ho commented he has met and finds very impressive) and his daughter. The Islamic PAS will be pushed in a more pragmatic, less radical direction by its increased proximity to real political power. Within the ruling coalition, UMNO could find itself pulled in the opposite direction as it comes under increasing pressure to compete with PAS, Ho said. 4. (C) Ho expressed pessimism about Malaysia's future prospects. Malaysians from the Chinese and Indian minority communities keep leaving the country. The relative size of the Malay Muslim majority keeps increasing. As a result, more Malaysian students are studying in religious schools and fewer are studying in more rigorous secular schools. This is harming Malaysia's international competitiveness, Ho said.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SINGAPORE 001019 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2018 TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, ASEAN, SN, MY, BU, ID, IN, TH, KN, CH, RU SUBJECT: DASD SEDNEY HEARS OF SINGAPORE'S MALAYSIA ANXIETIES (AND BILAHARI'S TAKE ON THE REST OF THE WORLD) REF: A. SINGAPORE 1001 B. SINGAPORE 586 Classified By: DCM Daniel Shields for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 1. (C) Summary: Singapore perceives a distinct possibility of racial conflict in Malaysia, Bilahari Kausikan, MFA Second Permanent Secretary told David Sedney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia September 15. Kausikan offered his view that if racial conflict provoked ethnic Chinese to flee Malaysia, they could "overwhelm" Singapore. Providing views on events elsewhere, Kausikan said the situation in Thailand is not as dangerous as in Malaysia, but the current political instability in Thailand would continue. Indonesia is the most stable of the three countries, but its governance is weak. Burma's neighbors prioritize its stability, fearing that the junta's collapse could provoke a Yugoslavia-style breakup.

Anxiety About Malaysia ---------------------- 2. (C) The situation in neighboring Malaysia is confused and dangerous, Singapore perceives a distinct possibility of racial conflict, Singapore MFA Second Permanent Secretary Bilahari Kausikan told Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Sedney in a September 15 meeting. (Embassy Comment: The Kausikan meeting took place a few days after Malaysian authorities arrested three persons, including two ethnic Chinese citizens, under the Internal Security Act, causing a political uproar, but no security incidents. End Comment.) Kausikan warned that Malaysia's current political instability could lead to unconstitutional action or a "constitutional emergency." He did not think that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had found the thirty crossover votes in Parliament necessary to fulfill his vow to bring down the government. But one side or the other might try the "time-tested strategy" of inciting communal conflict or some other incident to provoke a reaction. The possibility of conflict is high because the three competing factions backing Anwar, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak all have much at stake. Should Anwar fail in his bid to become Prime Minister, he would likely end up back in jail. Najib "has his neck on the line" in connection with a high-profile murder case and also needed to prevail politically in order to avoid prosecution. Having been in power for so long, ruling UMNO party leaders would also likely face repercussions if they lost power. 3. (C) A lack of competent leadership is a real problem for Malaysia, Kausikan said. Anwar might be the most competent leader, but he too comes with liabilities. While Anwar had made concessions to non-Muslims in order to build his coalition, he is unlikely to live up to his commitments to his non-Muslim partners should he gain power, Kausikan predicted. Should racial conflict break out, China would be compelled to weigh in on behalf of the ethnic Chinese population in Malaysia, though it was unlikely (at that stage) that anyone in Malaysia would listen to China's concerns. Kausikan said the GOS is also watching the situation carefully as it fears any significant racial conflict in Malaysia could lead to an influx of ethnic Chinese to Singapore and "overwhelm" Singapore. (NOTE: 60,000 - 70,000 Malaysians commute daily to work in Singapore. END NOTE.) Kausikan characterized Malaysian traditional foreign policy as including elements that are 1) anti-western, 2) pro-business, 3) supportive of China's growing role in the region. However, as China's influence in the region grows, Malaysia's "pro-Malay" domestic policies would eventuallylead to problems with China. SINGAPORE 00001019 002 OF 003 Thailand Not as Dangerous -------------------------

9. (C) Koh rated the performance of Malaysia's new prime minister Najib Razak as a "brave beginning" but added that he fears there may be skeletons in Najib's closet that will come back to haunt him. Likewise, Koh expressed reservations about opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who he said is so determined to be prime minister that he may make "Faustian bargains" to achieve that goal. Koh observed that the 2008 Malaysian general election reflected a "tectonic shift in Malaysian politics that we don't fully understand." In that election, for the first time, young urban Malays showed themselves willing to vote for political parties that did not base their identities expressly on race, he said.

(Source)

'just looking for anti-gov't teachers' ?

As the Chinese Saying goes, "Eyes wide open to talk blindly", Johor Education Department director Markom Giran, who has been caught on video allegedly campaigning for the BN in Tenang, has denied the accusation.

He said he was merely identifying the political tendencies of teachers to ensure that they “support the government's policies”.

"I did not campaign. I was speaking to my subordinates. It is our right to identify which (political parties) our teachers are supporting," said Markom when contacted today.

"If they are found to be against the government, we will call them up and send them for courses to let them understand that a government servant should not be against government policy."

He explained that a government servant is an executor of government policy and hence they should follow whatever policy is made by the government of the day.

"We are hired (makan gaji) by the government. So we should not go against the government. Whatever the policy is, we just follow."

Meanwhile, PAS deputy Johor commissioner Dzulkefly Ahmad was reported as saying that “We see this as a clear evidence of government officers and machinery being used to help the BN garner support in a way that violates civil service neutrality in politics,” he added.

Dzulkefly said if senior civil servants want to take part in politics, they must first resign from their posts in the service before entering the political fray,” he asserted.

Malaysia in the Year of the Rabbit 2011 -Ethnic strife could aggravate with political intrigue and corruption

The Bangalore-based Gayatri Devi Vasudev , a prominent editor of the Modern Astrology Magazine described 2011 as a little "gloomy" for the Southeast Asian region that would suffer civil unrest and natural calamities.

Lower fertility among women and possibilities of escalating political violence in Southeast Asia will be some low points of 2011, but farmers will be a happy lot, the Indian astrology analyst said.

Volcano eruptions in the Philippines, terror attacks and earthquakes in Indonesia, and ethnic tension in Malaysia plus another political upheaval in neighbouring Thailand, are likely features of 2011, said her prognosis.

"It's a period of strife. There will be civil unrest in Indonesia and destructive earthquake. Ethnic strife could aggravate with political intrigue and corruption adding to the situation in Malaysia," Gayathri, one of the national vice presidents of the Indian Council of Astrological Sciences, told Bernama.

The trouble-prone year, she said, was largely due to the transition of influencing planets like Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and "Ketu" (a shadow planet in Indian mythology).

"These (predictions) are based on planetary parameters. They are not mambo jumbo, they are scientific studies better than most modern sciences of today," she noted.

A well-respected analyst in the circle of astrologers, she had even predicted the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.....more

SO, Is 2011 the right time for a GE?

Malaysia Bus crash that killed 28 possibly due to human, technical factors ?

Police believe that the express bus crash at Km15 of the Cameron Highlands-Simpang Pulai road yesterday in which 27 people were killed, mostly Thai tourists, was due to driver factor and technical problems of the bus.

Perak police deputy chief Datuk Zakaria Yusof who said this, also denied that the accident could have been caused by the road's oily patches.

"However, it is up to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), Puspakom and Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) to determine the cause of the accident,".

A double-decker bus carrying Thai tourists overturned on a Malaysian highway Monday, killing 28 people on their way back from a hill resort in the country's worst road accident in years.

The tourists were heading to Kuala Lumpur after a weekend trip to the popular Cameron Highlands in central Malaysia when their bus spun out of control and crashed into a protective barrier, a district police official said.

The bus then flipped over and landed beside a rocky slope, he said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements.

Rescuers recovered 22 bodies, and another six people died after being taken to a hospital, he said. About a dozen other passengers were injured.

The bus was reportedly operated by San Holiday Express, a Malaysian-based tour company.

Earlier, it was reported that the bodies of the Thai passengers killed and those injured will be flown home using a Royal Thai Air Force C-130 transport aircraft tomorrow.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Thani Thongpakdi was quoted in the Bangkok Post Online today as saying that the C-130 Hercules would leave for Malaysia about 8am tomorrow from the Don Muang Air Force Terminal.

He said other than a team of doctors and Consular Affairs Department deputy director-general Mathurapojana Ittharong on board, a relative of each of the victims would also be allowed to travel on the plane.

Thani said he had learned that the company that operated the package tour had an insurance policy that covered all passengers

Singapore diplomats slam Asian leaders in WikiLeaks cables , reportedly said “Malaysia’s decline” is fueled by incompetent politicians !

Several Singapore diplomats have expressed a poor opinion of some Asian leaders, according to confidential US diplomatic cables quoted by an Australian news report on Sunday.

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper said it received copies of diplomatic messages from the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, including controversial comments by Singapore top officials on Malaysia, Thailand and other Asian nations.

In one of the cables, which could not be accessed online for verification, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bilahari Kausikan in September 2008 supposedly told a US diplomat that "a lack of competent leadership is a real problem for Malaysia."

"The situation in neighbouring Malaysia is confused and dangerous," and there was a "distinct possibility of racial conflict" that could see ethnic Chinese flee Malaysia and "overwhelm" Singapore, the newspaper quoted him as saying.

In March 2008, then foreign affairs permanent secretary Peter Ho described Najib Razak, now Malaysia's prime minister, as "an opportunist," said the report.

"Although he (Razak) has not been critical of Singapore, he will not hesitate to go in that direction if it is expedient for him to do so," Ho reportedly said of Malaysia's current leader.

In a cable dated September 2008, Kausikan supposedly labelled former Thailand's prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as "corrupt," along with "everyone else, including the opposition."

Meanwhile, according to Wikileaks, the Aussies and the kiasu Singaporeans knew about Dr Anwar and Saiful all along, about it being a set-up and how Dr Anwar had known that it was an entrapment but didn't - or could not - give a damn.

Malaysia’s improved ties with Singapore could be in jeopardy after the republic’s senior government officials reportedly said “Malaysia’s decline” is fueled by incompetent politicians.

Malaysia Law minister:"underage marriages practice is permitted under Islam." !

Malaysia's law minister on Wednesday shot down calls to ban underage marriage, despite an uproar over the recent wedding of a 14-year-old Muslim school girl.

Siti Maryam Mahmod wed 23-year-old teacher Abdul Manan Othman last weekend in a mass wedding at a major mosque, after being given permission in an Islamic syariah court.

Malaysian Muslims below the age of 16 are allowed to marry as long as they obtain the permission of the religious courts. Sharia law runs in parallel with civil law in the multi-ethnic country.

Nazri Abdul Aziz, a minister in the premier's department in charge of legal affairs, said the government has no plan to review laws allowing for underage marriages because the practice is permitted under Islam.

"If the religion allows it, then we can't legislate against it," he told a press conference.

"Islam allows it as long as the girl is considered to have reached her pubescent stage, once she has her menstruation," he added.....more here.

Malaysia: Torture practiced systematically in widespread caning

Malaysia openly practises widespread torture and other ill-treatment by subjecting thousands of refugees, migrants and Malaysian citizens to judicial caning each year. This form of corporal punishment has nothing to do with Islamic law. Under international law, judicial corporal punishment such as caning constitutes torture or other ill-treatment, which are absolutely prohibited in all circumstances. As a member of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia should consider the regional consequences of caning migrants and refugees. To comply with international law, the Malaysian government must abolish judicial caning altogether.

6 December 2010

The Malaysian government must immediately end the practice of judicial caning, which subjects thousands of people each year to systematic torture and ill-treatment, leaving them with permanent physical and psychological scars, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

A Blow to Humanity provides an in-depth look at Malaysian caning, which leaves victims, including many foreigners seeking asylum, with little recourse, support or hope. Many have no understanding of the charges or fate that awaits them.

“Caning in Malaysia has hit epidemic proportions,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director. “In every case that we examined, the punishment amounted to torture, which is absolutely prohibited under any circumstances.”

In recent years, Malaysia has increased the number of penal offenses subject to caning to more than 60. Since 2002, when Parliament made immigration violations such as illegal entry subject to caning, tens of thousands of refugees and migrant workers have been caned.

In Malaysian prisons specially trained caning officers tear into victims’ bodies with a metre-long cane swung with both hands at high speed. The cane rips into the victim’s naked skin, pulps the fatty tissue below, and leaves scars that extend to muscle fibre. The pain is so severe that victims often lose consciousness.

The Malaysian government does not punish officers for their actions. Instead, it trains officers how to conduct caning and pays them a bonus for each stroke. Many double their income through their caning work. Others take bribes to intentionally miss, sparing their victims.

State-employed doctors also play an integral role in caning. They examine victims and certify their fitness to be caned. When victims lose consciousness during caning, they revive them so the punishment can continue. After caning, some victims suffer long-term physical disabilities.

“The role that Malaysian doctors play in facilitating deliberate pain and injury through caning is absolutely contrary to international medical ethics,” said Sam Zarifi. “Instead of treating the victims, the doctors are preparing them for punishment.”

Malaysian officials and states employees who are complicit in torture are liable to prosecution worldwide under universal jurisdiction for grave human rights crimes such as these, Amnesty International said.

Judicial caning was originally imposed under British colonial rule in the 19th century. Under international law, all judicial corporal punishment constitutes torture or other ill-treatment, which is prohibited in all circumstances.

Refugees who fled torture and forced labour in Myanmar told Amnesty International how Malaysia (which does not recognize refugees) caned them for immigration violations, sometimes repeatedly. In Indonesia, Amnesty International met migrant workers deported by boat from Malaysia; 63 of the men had been caned.

“Neighbouring countries significantly contribute to Malaysia’s economy by sending tens of thousands of migrant workers,” said Sam Zarifi. “Indonesia and other migrant-sending countries should insist that Malaysia stop caning their citizens.”

Amnesty International called on the Malaysian government to:

• Enact immediately a moratorium on caning punishment in all cases, with a view to its abolition;

• Ratify the UN Convention Against Torture and its Optional Protocol, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

• Amend legislation to treat immigration violations as administrative offences rather than crimes punishable by prison or corporal punishment.

(Source)

Malay Supremacy Not Mentioned In Constitution !

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- The terminology "Ketuanan Melayu" or Malay Supremacy need not be debated because it does not exist in the country's constitution, said history expert, Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim.

He said that from the historical aspect, only the Rulers' Supremacy was stated in the constitution where the people must show their loyalty to the Rulers.

"In the past, 'Malay Supremacy' was never mentioned within the Malay community. In history, such things are incorrect. What is stated in the constitution is only the Rulers' Supremacy, where you show loyalty to the state where you reside in.

"The Malays obtained the special privileges because they are the subjects of the Ruler. The position of the Malays is given special consideration and need not be disputed," he said when contacted by Bernama, here Tuesday night.

He was asked to comment on the statement by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on the Malay Supremacy in her policy speech at the 7th National Congress of the party on Sunday.

Dr Wan Azizah called for the abolition of the concept of Malay Supremacy to enable Malaysian children to grow up with the vision of a 'race of integrity' or 'Malay of Integrity'.

Khoo said the terminology 'Malay Supremacy' was only raised by politicians purely for political purposes, and he observed that politicians were now frequently raising issues that could lead to racial confrontations.

"Politicians should focus on their services to the public, helping the people. They should not encourage the people to quarrel," he said.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin shared Khoo's opinion that the term Malay Supremacy was coined by politicians in portraying the political and economic position of the Malays.

Questioning Dr Wan Azizah's motive in raising the issue, he said the statement by the wife of PKR de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was merely a political gimmick and purely to cover up the crisis faced by the party currently.

"I don't know why the issue was raised. What I notice is "Anwar's Supremacy" in the PKR. It is Anwar's Supremacy that must be abolished. The Malay Supremacy is merely to demolish Anwar's Supremacy. In my opinion, the concept (Malay Supremacy) does not exist," he said.

He said Dr Wan Azizah should re-examine what was meant by the term supremacy and should not question the special privileges of the Malays which had been enshrined ever since the era of the Malay Sultanate.

Shamsul Amri said that looking from the economic aspect, the Chinese community dominated 70 per cent of the economy while the Malays had only 30 per cent and there was no such thing as the Malays dominating in all aspects.

"If we look at it, the 70 per cent should be the supreme group. So, what does the Malay Supremacy show? What does supremacy mean? She (Dr Wan Azizah) herself is not clear on the meaning of supremacy," he said.

Dr Shamsul Amri said politicians should be thinking about issues that were relevant for discussion instead of raising issues that could bring about negative developments between the races.

-- BERNAMA

Perception On Corruption In Politics, Not A True Picture Of Corruption In Malaysia ?

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said that the negative public perception on corruption in the country's politics cannot be used as a barometer to assess the extent of corruption in the country as a whole.

Public perception need not necessarily be a reality because much of it was based on factors that were not clear or accurate.

Liew said this in response to a question by Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan) who wanted to know whether the government was aware that based on the Global Corruption Barometer Survey 2009, the Malaysians' perception on political party corruption was at its worst.

She claimed this was different from the 2009 Annual Report of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which stated that 15 members of political parties were facing prosecution for corruption.

Liew responded by saying that the 15 political party members were prosecuted by MACC based on facts and law. Fuziah also challenged the government to make it compulsory for asset disclosure by politicians, as was being done in Indonesia during the election season, to reflect the government's transparency in combating corruption in the country.

Liew also hit out at Fuziah for not stating the actual facts of the survey by Transparency International, especially on the finding that only four percent of respondents opined that the country's parliament was corrupt, compared with 47 per cent in Indonesia.

"And in other countries like India, Thailand and South Korea, the corruption perception in political parties is much higher than Malaysia, which is 58 per cent, 54 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively. In Malaysia, it is only 42 percent," he said.

He also said that the study was based on information obtained from the people in February last year, which was before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took over the federal government's administration and introduced the National Key Result Areas (NKRA).

"Under the NKRA, the government set the agenda to fight corruption as the main thrust," he added.

Liew also said that the court's failure to convict a person of corruption did not mean that MACC was not doing its job.

"When a politician is taken to the court, he will be allowed to get a good lawyer to defend him.

"So, if he is not convicted, it does not mean that the MACC is not doing its job, but possibly the accused has engaged the best lawyer to represent him in court," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Zaid Ibrahim quit his posts and accused his colleagues of hypocrisy and fraud.

Former Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim's attack is certain to fuel a growing sense of dejection among opposition supporters tired of infighting and spark a political firestorm that could severely dent Anwar's public image as he battles sodomy charges.

Zaid — admired by many for being blunt about his political principles — announced he was resigning from several decision-making positions in the People's Justice Party and would no longer seek its No. 2 post because of signs "the leadership actively condones malpractices and electoral fraud to achieve its designed objectives."

Zaid, who was competing for the party post against a rival whom Anwar is known to favour, claimed there were irregularities in the distribution of ballot papers in the party's current elections for top office-bearers.

"I am certain that any political party with such hypocritical and false values will not be able to offer meaningful reforms to the people of this country," he said.

Zaid had once been considered a potential successor to Anwar if the opposition leader were to be convicted on charges of sodomizing a male former aide. Anwar denounces the charges, which could result in a 20-year prison term, as a government plot to block his political ascent. The government denies that.

Internal bickering in Anwar's three-party alliance has taken away much of the shine from major gains the opposition made in 2008 national polls and dampened opposition hopes of seizing federal power in elections that many expect to be held before mid-2012.

Dr M :"5th PM flipped-flopped, incompetent and unable to govern the country and grow its economy.

Dr Mahathir:"PERKASA and ME"

When the 5th PM took over, it became obvious he was incompetent and unable to govern the country and grow its economy. He was seen as weak by the Malays as well as by the Chinese and Indians. He flipped-flopped, making decisions and policies and reversing them, arresting opposition members under the ISA and then releasing them shortly after, claiming that he wanted to protect them.

Extremists among the Chinese and Indians felt they could safely challenge the Government, particularly over racial issues. They demanded that provisions in the Constitution favouring the Malays and the NEP quotas be removed. Even Barisan Nasional partners took up the call

Normally UMNO leaders and UMNO generally would take up the defence of the Malays. But Abdullah as UMNO President and PM was silent (elegant silence) causing the other leaders and members of UMNO to become silent also.

As the attack against the Malays escalated and UMNO remained silent, the Malay public felt they were being let down by UMNO. Losing faith in UMNO, they began to set up NGOs to take up the challenges by the Chinese and Indian activists.

Perkasa as an NGO gained the most support because the founder was more vocal and willing to take risk and to rebut the views of the Chinese and Indian extremists.

In the 2008 elections, many UMNO and BN candidates won only by small margins even in their strongholds. If in the next election defections by even a small number of supporters in some constituencies can result in a reduction of the Barisan Nasional majority or even cause the BN to lose altogether.

Because of the poor handling of the Perak crisis, the Chinese who considered the Pakatan Government of Perak as a Chinese Government, swore not to support BN anymore.

The situation of UMNO and BN looked bleak. They have not regained the Malay support lost in the 2008 elections and they face the prospect of the Chinese not supporting the Barisan Nasional in the 13th General Elections. Striving to regain Chinese support is not enough. They must also regain Malay support.

Perkasa has not indicated that it is against BN and UMNO. In fact it has hinted that it is for UMNO. Looking at the strength of Malay support for Perkasa antagonising them would not be to the benefit of the Barisan Nasional or UMNO.

Perkasa is accused of being racist and should be rejected on that ground. Is Perkasa racist? If anyone cares to study the statement by Perkasa he will not fail to note that it has confined itself to rebutting allegations that the non-Malays have been discriminated against, that the Malays need to retain their present position. If it is really racist then it would be demanding the abolition of the special treatment of the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia. This it has not done except when defending the Malay position.

(Read more here)

Malaysia plunged 10 notches in the 2010 World Press Freedom Index.

Malaysia has plunged 10 notches to 141 in the 2010 World Press Freedom Index - the lowest in nine years - putting it firmly in the bottom quarter of 178 countries.

The country failed to capitalise on last year's improvement where it moved up one notch from 132 to 131.

The issues which have perhaps affected Malaysia's poor ranking include the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission's investigation into Malaysiakini's cow-head video, the arrests of bloggers and the ban on a number of books by cartoonist Zunar.

Interestingly, Singapore (136) outranked Malaysia for the first time since Paris-based press watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) began releasing its ranking in 2002.

Among the 10 Asean countries, Malaysia is ranked higher than two countries which are deemed to have freer press - Thailand (153) and Philippines (156).

RSF has attributed this to political violence.

“Thailand - where two journalists were killed and some 15 wounded while covering the army crackdown on the 'red shirts' movement in Bangkok – lost 23 places,” said RSF, which issued its ninth annual index today.

“The Philippines lost 34 places following the massacre of over 30 reporters by partisans of one of Mindanao island's governors.”

(Read more here)

Dr Mahathir:"1 Malaysia has caused irreconcilable conflicts"

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that Malays must continue to be given handicaps, while arguing that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia was a confusing concept which means different things to different people.

He also accused the Chinese and Indian communities of continuing to identify with their countries of origin, and argued that Malays would continue demanding special treatment as a result.

Writing in his blog today, Mahathir said the Malays interpreted 1 Malaysia to mean the abolition of Chinese and Tamil schools and a “fair” participation of Malays and Bumiputeras in the private sector.

The Chinese and Indians, he claimed, interpret 1 Malaysia to mean an end to special treatment for Malays, the removal of quotas and the end to NEP-style affirmative action policies favouring Malays.

“Without the government spelling out the precise meaning of 1 Malaysia, different people are giving their own interpretations which not only differ from each other but are in conflict with each other.

“These two interpretations of 1 Malaysia admittedly are by the more extreme groups. The more moderate ones from both sides are milder in their expectations but their minimum interpretations still provide irreconcilable conflicts. 1 Malaysia clearly means different things to the different races.”

Dr Mahathir also argued that the Bangsa Malaysia concept encapsulated in his Vision 2020 document was more appropriate for multiracial Malaysia.

“In Vision 2020 one of the objectives is to create a bangsa Malaysia.

“The belief at that time was that if Malaysia becomes a fully developed country, it would become very prosperous,” he said.

He repeated his old formula for managing race relations by making the economic argument that if prosperity was fairly shared between the races there would be less jealousy between them.

“Malaysians of all races would be so proud of their country and its great achievements that the desire to be linked with other countries would be much diminished if not disappear altogether (as happens in prosperous multi-racial countries like the US – where the German Eisenhower led the war against Germany. Eisenhower was American first and his country of origin was irrelevant to him).”

But he said it was clear that race still played an important role currently in Malaysia.

The former prime minister also accused the Chinese and Indian communities of preferring to be identified with their countries of origin, and this, he said, caused Malays to expect special treatment.

He said a change in the so-called social contract between the Malays and the non-Malays would take a long time to replace.

“This will take a long time. As the new contract will be between races, racial factors would be included. Unless both sides agree to give up their races’ own rights as spelt out in the first contract i.e. the preservation of own home languages and schools etc. the rights of the indigenous races to their special position, etc, must remain a part of the new social contract.

“It is not certain that each would not demand for more than what they got under the old contract. It is likely there would be no agreement and no contract. Ths would lead to perpetual conflicts.

Dr Mahathir also took aim at Malays who wanted affirmative action to be abolished, and repeated his stand that Malays were not ready yet to compete on an equal footing with the Chinese in particular.

“I am not ashamed to admit that I cannot compete with the Chinese and Indian students when studying medicine. They had much better results than me and the other six Malay students for entry into the Medical College. Even at that time the British promised to the Rulers to help educate the Malays. I had my chance because of the affirmative action then. On pure merit I would not be a doctor today, not because I was not qualified, but my qualification was lower than others.

“One has to remember that the Chinese civilisation is more than 4000 years old. No other civilisation has lasted that long. Naturally they have developed a culture better able to survive under all conditions. It is my belief that if the percentage of Chinese in the United Kingdom for example is the same as in Malaysia, UK would be better developed than it is now. It is not surprising that the Chinese excel in developing Malaysia (for which they are amply rewarded).”

He said that it was not shameful to lose out against the Chinese but to just catch up would require handicaps.

“To be given handicaps is to ensure fairness, not discrimination. That is why in golf you have handicaps. That is why in all contests there must be equality between the contestants. It is selfish if having benefited from the handicaps you want to deny others from having them.”

(From The Malaysian Insider)

Rahimi was 'coerced' to implicate Najib, Rosmah ?

Just as the Election Commission (EC) announced Nov 4 as polling day for the Galas by-election, and the nation witnesses its 12th by-election since the watershed March 2008 general elections.

A press conference believed to be linked to Anwar Ibrahim's ongoing sodomy trial by his former aide Rahimi Osman was cancelled following disruption by a rowdy group of six individuals.

Anwar Ibrahim's former aide Rahimi Osman has claimed that he was coerced to sign two statutory declarations in relation to accusations that the former had sodomised another aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Rahimi told reporters that he had lodged a police report at the Klang district police headquarters at 2pm today over two statutory declarations made in 2008.

“The police report is to say that the prior two statutory declarations are not accurate,” said Rahimi's lawyer S Ravi Chandran.

According to Rahimi's police report, the first statutory declaration was signed on June 28, 2008 at the Quality Hotel, Shah Alam.

The second was signed several days later in Petaling Jaya.

On June 28, Anwar and his followers had gathered at Quality Hotel, hours after Saiful lodged a police report alleging that he had been sodomised by Anwar.

Rahimi claimed that he second statutory declaration was to amend the content of the first document which had implicated Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor in an alleged conspiracy over Anwar's second sodomy trial.

"Both statutory declarations are totally untrue. I was forced to sign them. I was not given a copy of both documents.

“Because the statutory declarations were untrue, I want to tell what actually happened, thus, I have made a new statutory declaration today which has the true story,” read Rahimi's report.

Rahimi added that he had appended a copy of the latest statutory declaration with his police report.

According to the Klang police, Rahimi had lodged a report alleging that he was pressured by Anwar's men into making the two statutory declarations.

A former aide to Anwar in 2007 and 2008, Rahimi was said to be his closest assistant during the General Election campaign.

He was recruited into the staff in March 2007 to update Anwar's blog, after he dropped out of studies in the International Islamic University Malaysia (UIA).

Rahimi, who was then stationed at the Section 16 of Petaling Jaya office was part of the staff which also included now elected representatives, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Sim Tze Tzin and Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah.

Also on staff was Nathaniel Tan who was running another office at Phileo Damansara.

"Rahimi joined as a volunteer at first. But he had somehow become Anwar's appointment keeper during the general election period when all of Anwar's aides were busy with their campaigns," said fellow staff Farhash Wafa Salvador.

Rahimi was schoolmates with Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, at SMK Damansara Utama.

Saiful was also an aide of Anwar's, and who is alleged to have been sodomised by the opposition leader.

It was Rahimi who introduced Saiful to his then boss.

According to Farhash, who was Anwar's political program coordinator then, Rahimi was dismissed from the staff on suspicion of questionable financial practices.

"Rahimi was paid about RM3000 but at that time had managed to buy a car and hire a chauffeur.".

He added that he was present at Quality Hotel when Rahimi signed the two statutory declarations which he claimed he was forced into signing.

"He came voluntarily and left on his own. We continued giving him a stipend of about RM3000 for several months after as he was still coming to the office on and off to do odd jobs. " he said.

The Anwar Ibrahim Club founder added that Anwar and "more than twenty people from Keadilan" attended Rahimi's wedding last year.

Others close to Rahimi during the same time, contacted by Malaysiakini but have chosen to remain anonymous, confirmed the information.

MACC claimed Raja Petra Kamarudin’s accusations are baseless

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has claimed that Raja Petra Kamarudin’s accusations are baseless — that the agency was not prosecuting prominent personalities.

Raja Petra’s Malaysia Today website has started to put out documents to support the allegations, details of complaints and evidence submitted which the MACC apparently had not followed up with prosecutions.

“The accusations made in a blog that said SPRM did not investigate and did not prosecute the suspects based on the investigation reports of three cases is absolutely baseless,” replied the MACC on its official blog, www.ourdifferentview.com today, while not naming Raja Petra directly.

On his Malaysia Today website, Raja Petra has published what he claims are copies of investigation reports against former Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) chief Datuk Seri Zulkifly Mat Noor, National Civics Bureau (BTN) director-general Datuk Shagul Hamid Abdullah, former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo, as well as a preliminary investigation report based on a report where Kulim assemblyman Lim Soo Nee claimed that he was offered a bribe to defect to Barisan Nasional (BN).

The anti-graft body also said that the cases against Zulkifly, Khir, and Lim were old cases, although it did not mention the case against Shagul.

“As a conclusion, all the cases cited are old cases,” said the blog post.

The anti-graft body added that news reports in 2007 had highlighted police investigations against the former ACA chief and pointed out that they could not have taken action against their own head.

“To ensure that investigations were done fairly and transparently, the police were given the responsibility to handle investigations,” said the MACC.

“Besides, the cases mentioned were not graft cases. So, don’t try to connect SPRM with this issue and slam them for purportedly not taking action to investigate and prosecute. It is not fair to hit out at SPRM and connect it to the issue of MACC’s frayed image for silencing action on this case,” it said, referring to the body’s Malay acronym.

The agency also pointed out that the report on the Kulim assemblyman did not contain enough evidence to prosecute the former Kedah mentri besar who allegedly offered Lim a RM5 million bribe to defect to the ruling coalition.

“If the investigation report is properly perused, it is merely a report that was given by the branch office to the headquarters for it to start the investigation process. In this case, the BPR (Badan Pencegah Rasuah) had already started investigations,” said the MACC, referring to the ACA’s Malay acronym.

The beleaguered anti-graft body further lashed out at PKR leaders for hampering their investigations by sparking massive media coverage which eventually affected the outcome of the case.

“The problem was the attitude of PKR’s highest leaders that were too quick to over-react until this case was blown up in the media,” said the MACC.

“It clearly affected the BPR’s investigation process. Investigations were disrupted as there was no longer an element of surprise and the perpetrators who were involved knew the future actions of the authorities. Eventually, the case that was supposed to happen did not happen. So, who should be blamed in this instance?” it asked.

The MACC stressed that they had tried to collect evidence in this case as the purported bribe had not yet occurred, but their efforts were allegedly blocked by over-reactive PKR leaders as mentioned by the former ACA chief, according to a February 2009 news report.

“In this case, the (graft) transaction had not yet happened and the process of collecting evidence was disrupted because of the over-reaction of other parties,” it said.

“Because of that, SPRM tightened laws by introducing section 29(4) of the SPRM Act 2009. It is aimed at preventing complainants from declaring their complaints in public until the investigation process is complete and the guilty party is brought to court,” said the anti-graft agency.

In the third case which involved Dr Khir, the MACC pointed out that they had no basis to prosecute him as statements from witnesses and documents favoured the accused.

“In the case of the former Selangor mentri besar, it clearly shows that both elements – which are statements and proof like documents — were on the side of the accused. So, on what basis can SPRM use to prosecute him?” asked the anti-graft body.

“SPRM has investigated and results showed that he did not commit any wrongdoing in his visit to Disneyland and Morocco,” it added.

The anti-graft body stressed that they had completed their duties in investigating Dr Khir and pointed out that an investigation process was not about pinpointing the blame on someone.

“This case clearly proves that SPRM has done its duty to investigate. The investigation process is not a process to look for someone to blame. Instead, it is a process to look for the truth,” said the anti-graft body.

“SPRM cannot accuse someone based merely on sentiment,” it added.

MACC is still struggling in a losing battle to regain public confidence.

In his campaign, Raja Petra has accused the MACC of being “a component member of the Barisan Nasional” by suggesting that the government agency did not take action against those with ties to the ruling coalition.

Raja Petra is expected to release more documents in the coming weeks.

(From: The Malaysian Insider)