BTN man bad example of 1 Malaysia, says Soi Lek

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 The MCA described the National Civics Bureau (BTN) official today who allegedly made racial slurs as a poor example of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razaks 1 Malaysia inclusiveness policy.

The Chinese partys stand follows that of MIC and DAP leaders who agreed yesterday that Najibs 1 Malaysia was being undermined by his own men in the governments controversial agency.

He is not a good example of a 1 Malaysia spirit citizen, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (picture) told reporters today, referring to BTN Federal Territory deputy director Hamim Husin.

Hamim had yesterday referred to the Chinese and Indian communities as Si Mata Sepet and Si Botol respectively when telling Puteri Umno members to approach the non-Malays for votes.

The si mata sepet that has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The si botol that only knows how to go up to Batu Caves up and down only has one vote, Hamim told the closed-door gathering.

Dr Chua also urged the Public Service Department (PSD) to act against the BTN official.

We want JPA to take action, he said, referring to the departments Malay acronym.

Hamims remarks have sparked a chorus of condemnation across other parties on both sides of the political divide like the DAP, MIC and PAS.

Today, the DAP demanded for an immediate punishment against Hamim while the MIC has urged BTN director-general Datuk Shagul Hamid Abdullah to investigate the matter and take further action.

Meanwhile, PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub described Hamims racial slurs as a manifestation of Umnos views on non-Malays and claimed that Umnos hatred for the Chinese and Indian communities was getting out of control.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang also challenged the Cabinet to dissolve the entire bureau, which he claimed promoted extremism.

He claimed that the manner in which th! e BTN co ntroversy was being handled was in stark contrast with Najibs remarks at the UN General Assembly yesterday where he pushed for moderation to be practised between all major religions and races in the world.

Today, Dr Chua further dismissed Hamims proclamation that Malay rights constituted a mandate to rule the country.

He does not know what democracy is all about, said Dr Chua.

It is the rakyat who determines who rules, he added.

Lim had said that Hamims proclamation showed Najibs 1 Malaysia was being hampered by enemies from within his own camp.

The BTN, a state agency charged with running courses on patriotism for civil servants and undergraduates, came under fire last year for promoting racism.

The Najib administration had promised a revamp of BTNs courses following a widespread public outcry.

courtesy of Malaysian Insider

See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

Jimmy Wales says to Malaysia: Ditch Censorship

September 28, 2010

Malaysia should ditch censorship, says Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia

A co-founder of online encyclopedia Wikipedia said on a visit to Malaysia today that the country should ditch censorship which is a damper on economic growth.

Jimmy Wales said censorship was counter-productive for Malaysia, which ranked 131 out of 175 nations on the 2009 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index because of its tight controls on print and broadcast media.

This is a country that has a fairly mixed record there is still some censorship in this country and I think we are beginning to see that it is no longer an effective strategy, certainly not an effective strategy when we think about economic growth, he said.

When you think about making sure that the people have the information they need, make good decisions in their lives, its absolutely important that we have a very open flow of information, he told a financial conference.

I want to write that information (on sites like user-generated Wikipedia) so that my fellow citizens have the knowledge they need so they cant be oppressed.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who took office in the mainly Muslim country in April last year, promised to promote openness and transparency but has since faced accusations that his administration is trying to silence critics.

Sodomy II spooks investors

On Monday, British tycoon Richard Branson told a different conference in Kuala Lumpur that the ongoing sodomy trial against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was discouraging investors from coming to Malaysia.

Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked and jailed on separate sex and corruption counts a decade

Zunar : Why should he be handcuffed?

ago, has said that the new allegations of illicit relations with a young male aide have been concocted to end his career.

Major newspapers and broadcasters are closely linked with the ruling coalition, so the Internet has become a lively forum for dissent and debate in Malaysia.

Unlike the mainstream press, the web and online media have remained relatively free, despite occasional raids, bans and government criticism.

Last Friday, police detained political cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque better known as Zunar over his new comic book, which has a caricature of Najibs wife on the front cover and contains cartoons on numerous controversial issues such as Anwars sodomy trial and police shootings.

- AFP

See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

Najib slammed for cliched, hypocritical UN maiden speech

Malaysia Chronicle

Pakatan Rakyat leaders ticked off Prime Minister Najib Razak for making a speech “full of cliches” that not only embarrassed the nation but also drew world attention to the huge double standards practiced in Malaysia, which many have said is just a step away from the full-blown apartheid system previously practised in South Africa.

“Frankly, no one in the UN will bother to listen to him especially when he has the reputation of being the mastermind behind Sodomy II. So when he makes a speech like this that every other leader has at one time or another said before, it is sweet dreams time for them. Tell me, which leader would call for extremism and not moderation,” Batu MP Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Extremism and racism at home

Amid great fanfare and trumpeting by the Umno-controlled media, Naib made his maiden speech at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday. In his speech, he called on the world to reject extremism, saying that extremists were holding the world hostage with their bigotry and bias.

Tian Chua - Najib's speech lacked fresh ideas

“We must, and I repeat, we must urgently reclaim the centre and the moral high ground that has been usurped from us. We must choose negotiations over confrontation. We must choose to work together and not against each other. And we must give this effort utmost priority for time is not on our side,” Najib exhorted the august assembly.

“To further strengthen our process of national unity, I have introduced a philosophy known as 1Malaysia ... a vision that seeks renewal and rejuvenation to bring all people together in a just and harmonious relationship. 1Malaysia calls for the acceptance of diversity as a source of greater unity. We seek to celebrate our multi-ethnic and multi-religious society for strategic strength and harmony.”

Yet even as he spoke, back home in Malaysia, the National Civics Bureau which is directly under his department was busy sabre-rattling Malay rights, insisting that only Malays were fit to rule Malaysia.

The point made by the bureau or BTN was immediately endorsed by the head of the Umno Youth women’s wing Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin. Najib is the president of ruling party Umno. Her comments were even more extreme, not only denying the non-Malays who florm 45 percent of the country’s 28 million population the right to even hold the No. 2 post.

“I believe and I’m confident that without a Malay filling the post of prime minister and other important posts, the position of the Malays will be eroded. As what we have read and understood, even the opposition leader himself dares to sell the honour of the Malays by offering a second important post in the country if he becomes prime minister,” Rosnah said.

Time is running out - for Najib

Nonetheless, despite Najib’s famed double-speak, opposition leaders said he was right in one aspect – time was running out, especially for Malaysia where racial polarization has deteriorated with each passing year.

Lee Boon Chye

This year alone, apart from the manifestly fabricated sodomy trial brought against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim tagged by the press as Sodomy II, several incidences have tarnished country and scared investors away.

One such incidence was the reaction to the use of the Allah to describe God by non-Muslim. Najib and his party taken the stand that Allah could only be used by Malays and Muslims, although top Muslim clerics in the country, the Middle East and even U.S. have ridiculed such a postulation as “extreme”.

It was also Najib's tacit approval for the staging of mass demonstration against the court ruling allowing non-Muslims to use the word that led to the spate of church violence across the country, lasting nearly a fortnight.

And it was amid this huge negative publicity that Najib and his cohorts in Umno gave the green light for the birth of ultra-Malay rights group Perkasa, to which Umno “outsourced” its extremist ideas. Perkasa is now the executing arm for the race-championing and religious bigotry tactics that Umno traditionally deploys to divide the races and cling to political power in the country.

“What more can we say about Najib, I think almost every Malaysian has given up on him. He must stop this very irritating habit that showy public relations can solve the country’s problems. He is the prime minister, not APCO (Najib’s controversial PR consultant),” Gopeng MP Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

“Racism, skewed educational opportunities, macro and micro management of the economy must be done, not talked about and U-turned on even before they can be implemented. If he wants to show he is serious, start by taking action against extremist elements in Malaysia – Perkasa, BTN, Mahathir. Just do it and the citizens will respond. The UN and the world leaders are not fools. They will gauge him based on the satisfaction level of the people in his country, not his grand speeches.”

Wikipedia co-founder tells M'sia to drop press censorship

(AFP) - A co-founder of online encyclopedia Wikipedia said on a visit to Malaysia today that the country should ditch censorship which is a damper on economic growth.

Jimmy Wales (pic) said censorship was counter-productive for Malaysia, which ranked 131 out of 175 nations on the 2009 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index because of its tight controls on print and broadcast media.

Jimmy Wales wikipedia founder"This is a country that has a fairly mixed record... there is still some censorship in this country and I think we are beginning to see that it is no longer an effective strategy, certainly not an effective strategy when we think about economic growth," he said.

"When you think about making sure that the people have the information they need, make good decisions in their lives, it's absolutely important that we have a very open flow of information," he told a financial conference.

"I want to write that information (on sites like user-generated Wikipedia) so that my fellow citizens have the knowledge they need so they can't be oppressed."

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who took office in the mainly Muslim country in April last year, promised to promote openness and transparency but has since faced accusations that his administration is trying to silence critics.

Sodomy II spooks investors

On Monday, British tycoon Richard Branson told a different conference in Kuala Lumpur that the ongoing sodomy trial against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was discouraging investors from coming to Malaysia.

Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked and jailed on separate sex and corruption counts a decade ago, has said that the new allegations - of illicit relations with a young male aide - have been concocted to end his career.

Major newspapers and broadcasters are closely linked with the ruling coalition, so the Internet has become a lively forum for dissent and debate in Malaysia.

Unlike the mainstream press, the web and online media have remained relatively free, despite occasional raids, bans and government criticism.

Last Friday, police detained political cartoonist Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque - better known as Zunar - over his new comic book, which has a caricature of Najib's wife on the front cover and contains cartoons on numerous controversial issues such as Anwar's sodomy trial and police shootings.

- AFP

Part 2: What Shagul Hamid knows, Pak Lah knows

Shagul Hamid, the head of BTN, was the adviser to Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. What Shagul Hamid knows, Pak Lah knows. In fact, in most instances, Pak Lah would not act unless on Shagul Hamid’s advice and Shagul Hamid could tell the Prime Minister what he should and should not do. But in this particular case no action was taken -- or maybe no advice was given.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

DEPUTY MINISTER & INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION &CULTURE MINISTER HAS MORE POWERS THAN OUR DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER & EDUCATION MINISTER ON SENSITIVE ISSUES

It was reported today that Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim, Information Communication and Culture Minister had demanded that action be taken against a man alleged to be a priest who was reported to have insulted Islam, in a bid to distance the church from condoning the act which was recorded and uploaded on the YouTube while he was joined by Deputy Minister in the Prime Ministers Department Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim in calling for stern action to be taken against this Christian convert Benjamin Stephen
As usual, the Police would immediately act by arresting this priest to carry-out an investigation.
Imagine, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had claimed that he had NO POWERS to direct the arrest and investigation on two racist principals from Johor and Kedah while there were numerous police reports from parents to take action. But even then, the police have not arrested these principals or commenced any investigation until today.
An Act of Parliament under the Sedition Act could be used to punish these principals but it has been failed to be used in order to keep UMNO's loyal 'voting bank' as claimed by most sources.
This double standard of prosecution is what Malaysians are very concern about.
It is fully agreed that everyone of them need to be prosecuted but it must be seen to be fair and Ministers, Deputy Ministers and the Police should NOT be giving 'stupid' excuses that Malaysians cannot accept and understand on these double standards of prosecution.
How is that Information Communication and Culture Minister and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department have MORE POWERS than our Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister ?
See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

'Racist' officer: BN leaders see red, DPM in the dark

Barisan Nasional leaders, minus Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, today condemned yet another racial slur from a high ranking officer on the government payroll.

They also agreed that it had rendered another devastating blow to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's 1Malaysia campaign.

Muhyiddin, however, claimed to be in the dark and reserved his comments about the latest controversy.

The leaders were responding to a news report which claimed that National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director Hamim Husin had allegedly used derogatory terms to refer to the Chinese and Indians.

During a closed-door meeting with Puteri Umno delegates, Hanim had purportedly described the Chinese as si sepet mata (slitty eyes) and Indians as kaki botol (alcoholics).

Seeing red, MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok called for prompt action, including a possible investigation by the police.

It is time to put a halt to these arrogant and intolerant bigots, he said in a statement.

Loh said it was shameful that a public servant employed by BTN, which trains upcoming civil servants, had used such stereotypical derogatory terms from a bygone era.

He said Hamim should be instead advocating that all races work towards achieving the 1Malaysia concept mooted by Najib, which was founded on the idea of inclusivity.

BTN, as a government body has a responsibility to cultivate trust, not racial prejudice and polarisation based on an 'us versus them' dogma, he added.

Loh urged the Public Service Department (PSD) to take action against Hamim as his statement had hurt the feelings of the Chinese and the Indian communities in Malaysia.

MIC vice-president and Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam said since BTN was a government agency under the Prime Ministers Department, the views could be interpreted as being the government's stan! d.
If an officer from this agency is found to have passed such remarks, it can be construed as reflecting the views of the government. It will also reflect badly on the government, and have adverse effects on the 1Malaysia concept.

Therefore, I urge the BTN director-general to immediately investigate the matter thoroughly, and take the appropriate action according to the report of the investigation, he added.

'Running counter to 1Malaysia'

Gerakan Youth secretary-general Dominic Lau bayed for Hamim's dismissal, saying the degrading words were uncalled for, unwarranted and mischiveous.

His open and blatantly demeaning descriptions of fellow Malaysians run counter to the prime minister's all-inclusive 1Malaysia concept which is supposed to be propagated to participants at BTN camps, he said.

Both Loh and Lau urged the government to review BTN courses and if needed, overhaul it accordingly so that the course to train civil servants reflected a 1Malaysia outlook and did not become a breeding ground for racism.

There were many complaints by participants that the courses were indoctrination programmes, outdated, racist, divisive and seditious in nature and should be changed. The recent ugly incident has once again reinforced the serious shortcomings of BTN, said Lau.

When asked to comment on the issue at a function today, Muhyiddin said: "I am not aware of that speech."

The deputy premier added that he would check the matter first before commenting on it.

See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

Freedom to oppose as long as you agree with me

What some people in PAS cant seem to understand is that PAS is a political party. And as a political party it has every right to propagate and promote its political ideology. And in the case of PAS it is Islamic politics. But PAS cant deny Malaysians their rights as well. And this right is to reject the PAS brand of politics in favour of some other political ideology.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I was wondering when Rahman Celcom a.k.a. Tulang Besi would crawl out of his hole in the ground. In case some of you are not aware, Rahman was the person who revealed that Ustaz Hadi Awang, Mustaffa Ali, Hassan Ali and a few other top PAS leaders were engaged in secret talks with Umno soon after the March 2008 general election.

People like Rahman and those of his ilk have only one view. And that is if you agree with everything they say, then you are learned (ulamak). If, however, you disagree with what they say, then you are ignorant (jahil).

Your status -- whether you are a learned or an ignorant person -- depends on whether you agree or disagree with what these people think and say. In my case, since I disagree with them, then I am an ignorant person.

It does not matter where I studied. It does not matter how long I studied. It does not matter from whom I studied. It does not matter how many books I may have read and who wrote those books. I am learned only if I agree with their opinion and am ignorant if I do not.

These people are of the view they have the right to propagate, propose, promote, etc., their brand of politics. In this case it happens to be Islamic politics. You and I, however, do not have the right to reject their brand of politics. You must agree with them and not reject them or dispute what they say.

Oh, its not that they do not believe in freedom of speech, expression, op! inion, a ssociation, or whatever. They do. But this freedom is only allowed as long as you too share their views as to what is right and wrong and what is permitted and not permitted.

For example, if they oppose Ketuanan Melayu, and you too oppose Ketuanan Melayu, then they allow you the freedom to oppose Ketuanan Melayu. Your freedom extends to only those areas of common interest. But once you part company on certain issues then you forfeit your right to this freedom.

Another thing these people believe in is that they have a right to impose their opinion on you. They have a certain opinion and you must accept this opinion. You may not disagree with what they think. Malaysia may be a democracy. But democracy is only allowed as long as you do not disagree with their opinion.

Think what you want. Say what you want. Just make sure you think and say what they too think and say and not opposite to that.

This is the mentality of Rahman Celcom and those of his ilk. And the fact that they tolerate other religions -- although tolerate is something you do when it is a nuisance -- proves that they are very reasonable people.

**********************************************

J. Hussain wrote:

In Islamic law, crimes are classified in three ways: hudud, qisas (and) Taazir...Hudud crimes are those specifically mentioned in the Koran as transgressing the limits which God himself has placed on people's behavior. The hudud crimes are: theft, highway robbery, drinking alcohol, unlawful sexual intercourse and false accusation of unchastity. Some jurists also include murder and apostasy (al-riddah) among the categories of hudud crimes.

Schacht wrote that hudud is reserved for crimes against Allah for which there can be no mercy or judicial discretion.

Further, Al-Awwa adds unlawful rebellion to the list of hudud crimes.

Schacht sets out the specifics of huhud:

The death penalty either by stoning (the more severe punishment for unlawful intercourse) or by cr! ucifixio n or with the sword (for highway robbery with homicide); cutting off hand and/or foot (for highway robbery without homicide and for theft....

Schacht also confirms the rigidity of Islamic law; that hudud is meted out as:

... a right or claim of Allah, therefore no pardon or amicable settlement is possible.

However, in some cases, Muslim law allows a criminal defendant to pay off the victim (diyya) and thus, to escape punishment; an option obviously only available to the wealthy.

REFERENCES:

* Al-Awwa, Muhammad Salim, The Basis of Islamic Penal Legislation, published in The Islamic Criminal Justice System (Rome: Oceana Publications Inc., 1982), page 127

* Duhaime, Lloyd, Legal Definition of Taazir

* Hussain, J., Islamic Law and Society (Sydney: Federation Press, 1999), page 134

* Schacht, J., An Introduction to Islamic Law (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964), page 175

*****************************************

Raja Petra went to town attacking the PAS Youth Chief for suggesting Hudud as an alternative. My initial response is : AT LEAST SOMEONE IS THINKING OF A SOLUTION TO THE WORSENING CRIME PROBLEM in Malaysia.

Instead of providing a sound alternative, RPK chose to redicule the PAS Youth Chief.

He went to cite the failure of Christian laws in Europe from the history of Christianity. The trouble with this argument is that the same cannot be said about Islamic laws or Hudud. The Islamic Penal Code has been in practiced for 1400 years and NO ONE complained about it's implementation.

The removal of Islamic Penal Code from the lives of Muslims are mostly the handiwork of Colonials like British, Russians, France, Belgium, Dutch etc when Muslim Lands were invaded by them.

In fact, in India, women were prevented from getting inheritence from their fathers because the Common Law of Britain forbids any inheritance to women, at that time, when British first invaded India. For a few hundred years before that! women w ere getting inheritance without any hinderance because they were subjected to Shariah Laws.

So, there lies Raja Petra's main weakness in his argument: he cites examples from the history of CHRISTIANITY which DIFFERS greatly from the history of Islam and Islamic Penal Code.

As far as history has shown, Islamic Penal Code is practiced by Muslims for the last 1400 years and no one complained about it despite the coming and going of Muslim rulers throughout the ages.

So, i beg Raja Petra to come up with a better argument to negate the effectiveness of Islamic Penal Code.

Oh, and Raja Petra also made this argument:

If this is true then why quote the example of the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya? This woman was allegedly killed by Indian Hindus, not by Malay Muslims. And since Hudud applies only to Muslims then it does not matter whether Malaysia does or does not implement these Islamic laws. It would not have deterred these Indian Hindus from killing Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya because they would have been exempted from these laws anyway.

It so happens, the crime of murder falls under QISAS and not HUDUD. And trust me, anyone would agree to QISAS regardless of their religion.

As for me, if a Jewish gentleman name Noah Feldman who actually thinks that Islamic Penal Code is good and practical.

Funny, a guy like RPK who claims to be Muslims, giving hell about Islamic laws while a Jewish professor from Harvard wrote and article in the New York TImes to defend the Shariah.

How the world has turned upside down. Did I mention the Jewish guy is a professor of law from Harvard?

Tulang Besi a.k.a Rahman Celcom

ps i've written before about Raja Petra's shallowness in understanding Islam and the Islamic Penal Code. No matter what RPK says, majority Muslims supports the Shariah and wants it's implementation. Hell, even in Britain, the Shariah is being practiced albeit still limited.

Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

PAS: UMNO is truly fvcked up !

BTN shows Umno’s true colours, says PAS man

By Adib Zalkapli

September 28, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub described the racist remarks by a National Civics Bureau (BTN) official yesterday as a manifestation of Umno’s views on non-Malays.

The Kubang Kerian MP also warned the public that the Malay nationalist party has become more extreme when speaking on issues affecting the community.

“That is Umno true colours. I have said before that they will not able to get rid themselves of their real character,” Salahuddin told a press conference here.

“If 1 Malaysia is well propagated to the grassroots, I don’t think this will happen,” he added.

At a Puteri Umno event yesterday BTN Federal Territories deputy director Hamim Husain referred to Chinese and Indian community as “Si Mata Sepet” and “Si Botol” when asking the party members to approach the non-Malays for votes.

“The ‘si mata sepet’ that has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The ‘si botol’ that only knows how to go up to Batu Caves up and down only has one vote,” said Hamim.

Today Salahuddin also claimed that Umno’s hatred to the Chinese and Indian communities is getting out of control.

“They have become more racist and more extreme. They actually hate the Chinese and Indians even more now, although they have been trying to hide their feeling but there will be somebody who will show their real feeling,” he said.

On whether racially-charged campaign would affect PAS’s influence among the Malay voters, Salahuddin said PAS has been building its own support base in the community.

“We have differentiated the Malay voters into those who will continue to believe in such propaganda and those who are more open, especially the younger generation who are more exposed to information so I don’t think it will affect our position,” said Salahuddin.

PAS and its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners have been under attack from Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders for allegedly compromising the Malay interest.

Last week former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned the Malay community that it would lose power if PR takes over Putrajaya.

Dr Mahathir also implied that a Chinese or an Indian could become prime minister if PR took federal power because there was no constitutional restriction on race for the position.

Yesterday Puteri Umno chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin echoed Dr Mahathir sentiment and claimed that a Malay PR prime minister would be powerless to defend the interest of the community.

DAP: Najib must fvck Mahathir or else ...

Najib needs to tow in extremists in Umno — Tony Pua

September 28, 2010

SEPT 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak made a good speech at the United Nations which we could not fault. As reported in The Star today, the prime minister said there was a need to marginalise the extremists, and the “global movement of the moderates” of all faiths was needed to work together to make this a success.

Najib also said these extremists had held the world hostage with their bigotry and bias, adding that “we must choose moderation over extremism... We must choose negotiations over confrontation. We must choose to work together and not against each other. And we must give this effort utmost priority, for time is not on our side”.

What is interesting, however, is the message and choice of words used by the prime minister bore remarkable resemblance to the speech made by DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at the DAP National Convention held in Ipoh in January this year where Lim was slammed by Umno for calling for a “Middle Malaysia”.

Then, Lim has called for resolution of religious disputes “not through confrontation but consultation and not by force but by negotiations” with a specific reference to the “Allah” controversy.

Lim had said that “we are not a nation at war with itself. What we are witnessing is Umno is at war with the values that stand for openness, logical reasoning and mutual respect. When BN talks of international benchmarks, questions are raised as to why the global Islamic practice from the Middle East to Indonesia allowing Christians usage of the word ‘Allah’ is not applicable in Malaysia.”

We had called for a Middle Malaysia which prefers co-operation not conflict, consultation instead of confrontation and an inclusive shared society rather than an exclusive separate society. And to embrace Middle Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat must be seen as moderate and inclusive and distance and differentiate ourselves from our exclusive, racist, extremist opponents.

It is therefore “rich” coming from the prime minister to call for global moderation when he has failed to decisively clamp down on race and religious extremism, especially those from his very own political party.

Najib has no locus standi to preach global moderation when today Umno is still adamant on eliminating the rights of the other Abrahamic faiths to use the term “Allah”, his government’s refuses to deal with racist school principals decisively and the National Civics Bureau continues to preach race supremacy as highlighted in the speech of its deputy director which was supported by Puteri Umno. What is perhaps worse is Najib’s complete lack of willingness to openly condemn extremist organisations like Perkasa due to political expediency as the latter is constituted by Umno’s own members.

We must applaud Najib’s speech at the UN and support all and any effort to promote moderation and combat extremism. However, the prime minister’s pretty speech will be only deemed worthless if he refuses to steer his own party towards moderation, to achieve a middle Malaysia.

Umno continues to heighten irresponsible and incendiary race and religious rhetoric which will drive Malaysia towards becoming a nation of extreme contradictions, with the latest accusation that the Penang government funds its programmes using funds from non-halal sources.

Umno has continued its relentless attacks on the DAP, particularly the Penang state government with the latest being that the state government funded its welfare initiatives with funds contributed by non-halal entities such as the Penang Turf Club, and, by extension, the Muslims in the state are benefiting from “unclean” money.

While the Penang government has disclosed the fact that the accusation is completely and utter baseless when it was shown that such contributions are only channelled towards the eradiction of non-Muslim hardcore poor, the more critical point is perhaps “so what if it is?”

Umno leaders have shown utmost hypocrisy when even the Finance Ministry, which is led by the prime minister himself, has replied in Parliament that the federal government does not separate its revenue from halal and non-halal sources in its consolidated funds. This means that the revenue from gaming sources such as Tanjung PLC and Berjaya Sports Toto as well as alcoholic beverage companies such as Guinness Anchor Bhd (GAB) and Carlsberg is used for the benefit of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region. And that is absolutely how it should be.

What is more worry, however, is the tendency of desperate Umno leaders who want to cling on to power at all cost to start calling for ludicrous ideas to be implemented by preying on the fears and insecurity of the wider public.

By calling for a separation of funds from halal and non-halal sources, Umno politicians are opening a whole new Pandora’s box which will lead ultimately to Malaysia becoming a global basket case. Is the Penang opposition leader Azahar arguing for a case whereby Muslim companies, individuals and organisations cannot trade with, say, alcoholic beverage companies like GAB even for the purchase of stationery or furniture because GAB derives its revenue and profits from non-halal sources? Or worse, is Umno arguing for the farcical case where Ah Chong the butcher, or Muthu who works for Berjaya Sports Toto, cannot purchase nasi lemak from Pak Ali because the latter should not “benefit” from such sources of income?

Will Najib put out a new proposal during the announcement of the 2011 Budget calling for a duel currency system where the halal ringgit is used for transactions which are halal while the non-halal ringgit is used for transactions which involve non-halal items or services, and hence preventing Muslims from sourcing any of the revenue or benefiting in any way from sources of funds which have at one time or another “passed through” non-halal transactions?

Najib has called for “moderation” at the United Nations and his call must be supported. However, Najib must first rein in his party of hare-brained extremists who are using all means, including racially and religiously extreme views, to politically assassinate the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat which are clearly winning over the rakyat with their inclusive, moderate and progressive policies.

The relentless race and religious attacks by Umno must cease immediately to create the conducive environment for “moderation”, to defeat “extremism” and to bring Malaysia back into the forefront of the international investment map.

* Tony Pua is DAP national publicity secretary and Petaling Jaya Utara MP.

Boss Hoggin’

from www.peopleofwalmart.com by luke

4 people liked this

via "+Cool" via xBlog®

Yeah, well my other wife is your hog…wait. Dammit that doesn’t work. Cherish this win because I’m guessing you haven’t had many in life.

Can a pork seller pay for Pak Ali's nasi lemak? :Tony Pua

Tony Pua

PETALING JAYA (Harakahdaily) - UMNO’s latest attack on the Penang state government, in the form of accusing it of using money from gambling to give aid to Muslim poor, has triggered DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara member of parliament Tony Pua into questioning whether there were two types of ringgit.

Pua asked whether prime minister Najib Razak would introduce one type of ringgit for ‘halal’ (lawful) transaction and the other for ‘haram’ (prohibited) transaction to justify the attack on the Penang government.

“So a pork butcher can’t buy nasi lemak from Pak Ali?” he quipped in a Twitter posting.

Earlier, local UMNO warload, UMNO Youth information chief Reezal Merican Naina alleged that the Penang state government had used revenue from gambling companies to fund its poverty eradication programmes.

The state government however explained that it used donations from the Penang Turf Club for poverty eradication activities among non-Muslims.

Pua, describing that the controversy over the ‘source’ of money for the Penang state government welfare as farcical, hit out at UMNO’s hypocrisy by referring to a parliamentary reply from the Finance ministry.

According to the reply, there was nothing in the Federal government accounts to differentiate the sources of revenue used for development and social welfare.

Salary for Najib et al

Pua echoed an earlier statement by DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) chief Anthony Loke Siew Fook (left), rebuking Reezal by claiming that Najib had told parliament that all forms of gambling tax was kept in a Consolidated Fund under the Federal government.

“The Consolidated Fund comprises three main accounts, the Consolidated Account, the Consolidated Trust Account and the Consolidated Loans Account. All revenue from payment of taxes are put into the Consolidated Account like all other government revenue and is used for purposes of management spending and national development,” Loke was quoted as saying.

Loke also said deputy Finance minister Awang Adek revealed last year that the gambling tax collected by the BN-led Federal government last year amounted to RM2.3 billion, and that the figure included taxes from the casino in Genting Highlands and from revenue of gambling outlets such as Magnum and Sports Toto.

"For Reezal’s knowledge, part of the expenditure for national management and development is sourced from gambling revenue.

"This includes the allowances and salary of the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and Cabinet ministers from his beloved party," he added.

Friends of Pakatan Rakyat (UK) Present...

In Conversation with Leader of the Malaysian Opposition Anwar Ibrahim, Exiled Political Commentator & ex-ISA detainee Raja Petra Kamarudin and Opposition MP Tian Chua

On Saturday the 2nd of October 2010, three key figures in the fight for a fair and democratic Malaysia will take centre-stage together in London for the first time. Come and listen to an exciting dialogue session that unfortunately would be impossible on Malaysian soil. These three renowned personalities will be exploring some of the difficult questions and real stories behind the news that in recent times have dominated Malaysian headlines.

The three men are no strangers to the perils of political life in Malaysia.

Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of Opposition, is in court again to answer to charges of allegedly sodomising a political aide. He denies the claims, saying they are part of a government conspiracy to undermine his increasingly strong opposition alliance. When not firefighting to defend against personal attacks, Anwar Ibrahim travels the country to garner support for the Opposition, acting as a unifying figure for Malaysia's diverse political groups.

Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) was twice detained without trial under the notorious Internal Security Act (ISA). He has been charged with sedition and criminal defamation for allegedly implying that the current Malaysian Prime Minister and his wife were involved in the sensational murder of a young Mongolian female translator. Today, Raja Petra remains in exile, unconvinced that he will be afforded due process and justice in defending himself against these charges and in responding to the appeal regarding his ISA detention.

Tian Chua is appealing against his conviction and sentence for biting a policeman's ear in 2007 while resisting arrest in an alleged illegal assembly. He was arrested as he tried to deliver a memorandum to Parliament to protest a Bill to extend the Election Commission members retirement age from 65 to 66. He is currently facilitating French prosecutors in an investigation into a deal between the Malaysian government and a French shipbuilder (DCN) where DCN paid a commission of $150 million (114 million euros) to a company called Perimekar, which is linked to Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The sensational headlines in the mainstream media often overshadow the aspirations of Pakatan Rakyat which are left unreported. What does Pakatan Rakyat hope to do for Malaysia? How can civil society contribute to the fight for social justice and the process of nation building? Where is help needed and how you can assist, are two key questions that will be explored. Do join us for an afternoon to catch up with these two leaders of the Malaysian political opposition and an exiled political commentator.

In conversation with Anwar Ibrahim, Raja Petra and Tian Chua

Date: Saturday 2nd Oct 2010

Time: 1-4.30pm

Venue: University College London(UCL), Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre, Gower Street WC1E 6BT

Nearest Tube stations: Euston Square, Warren Street

Register at http://fprconversation2october.eventbrite.com

Please book your place by the 30th of September 2010, spaces are limited

Fundraising Dinner for Pakatan Rakyat

A fund raising dinner has been organised for the evening.

Date: Saturday 2nd Oct 2010

Venue: Holiday Villa Hotel, 37 Leinster Gardens, London, W2 3AN

Time: 7.30pm

Nearest Tube stations: Bayswater,Queensway

Proceeds of the dinner will go towards election campaign initiatives in Malaysia and help fund new candidates in key constituencies in the run up to the next General Election, which some forecast may be as early as March next year. This dinner will provide an opportunity to meet and engage with the leaders of Malaysia's opposition coalition who hopefully, with all our combined efforts and support, will go on to form the next Malaysian government.

Minimum donation for dinner tickets: £50

Student concessions: £20

Our fundraising target is RM 25,000.

We appreciate your generous and ongoing support

To book a place please contact :

Brian Morais (0773) 8557888 bmorais@btinternet.com

Ben Singh (0795) 6670696 ben.singh@lineone.net

Musa Amans golden handshake and Vincent Tans compensation revisited

Come clean on Sabah casino plans, Anwar demands

(The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim demanded today that the Najib Administration come clean on the proposed casino in Sabah which is part of the governments Economic Transformation Plan (ETP).

More HERE

7 COMMENTS:

supra said...

i don't think PM will build casino in Sabah. sabah people will not agree with this.

September 25, 2010 8:45 AM

Jonny said...

Sebelum keputusan membina Kasino ini diluluskan, tak perlulah membuat spekulasi sebarangan. Perkara ini belum ada apa-apa kepastian buat masa ini, baik kita tunggu keputusan terakhir daripada PM.

September 25, 2010 8:56 AM

Leo said...

Definitely agree with you Supra. My guess, majority of the Sabahans will not agree to this. Therefore, ther is no way that the PM will approve such project.

September 25, 2010 11:53 AM

Leo said...

But of course for now, it's better for us to wait for the PM's explanation regarding this matter. For all we know, there could be no plan made in the first place.

September 25, 2010 11:55 AM

martycruz said...

http://mpkotabelud.blogspot.com/2010/09/kasino-di-sabah-malaysian-insider-perlu.html

the speculation that the government has allowed the construction of casinos in this state is a lie and reckless accusations..

September 27, 2010 8:20 AM

tombolo said...

kasino takkan dibina di sabah, Karambunai telah membuat pernyataan menafikan bahawa mereka pernah menghantar cadangan rasmi kepada kerajaan Malaysia mahupun menulis dokumen bertulis dengan mana-mana pihak ketiga lain berkaitan dengan rancangan untuk membina kasino di Karambunai.

September 27, 2010 8:48 AM

Bi said...

Belum ada apa2 bukti @ hitam putih untuk menyokong kenyataan ini. Tidak perlu perbesarkan hal ini sehingga ada yang emosi... Baik kita tunggu kenyataan dari kedua2 pihak, tapi apapun secara peribadi saya membantah kasino di Sabah!!

Bigotry in school: 'Why the foot-dragging?'

By G Vinod

PETALING JAYA: Both the Public Service Department (PSD) and the police are dilly-dallying in their investigations into the cases of two school principals who insulted their students with racist remarks, Perak DAP vice-chairman A Sivanesan said today.

He also rebuked teachers’ union boss Hashim Adnan and a Malaysian Youth Council (MYC) alumnus for their statements on the issue.

He said he agreed with PSD director-general Abu Bakar Abdullah that only PSD’s disciplinary committee could take action against the two principals, Siti Inshah Mansor of SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Kulai, Johor, and Ungku Aznan Ungku Ismail of SMK Bukit Selambau, Kedah.

However, he added, “it’s been 45 days” since the first incident. “Why is it taking so long?”

He said the disciplinary committee should have issued show-cause letters to both the principals by now.

Sivanesan, who is Sungkai state assemblyman, used to be a member in the general council of Cuepacs, the civil service union.

He said PSD could investigate the principals for misconduct at the workplace.

He also called on the police to announce the outcome of their investigation into the cases, noting that several people had lodged reports against the alleged culprits.

“The cases can be investigated under the Sedition Act,” he said.

“The police should inform the public of the outcome of the investigation. If they have completed their investigation and sent the report to the Attorney-General, then the latter should explain what his next course of action is.”

Sivanesan criticised Hashim, National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) president, for telling DAP that it should not politicise the issue.

Hashim, in an interview with an English daily, also referred to the two cases as “internal issues” that could be settled by the district education departments, the principals and the students involved.

“This is the most disgusting statement that can come from a union president,” said Sivanesan.

“I wonder whether he knows how serious the offence is, or whether he is just trying to please his political masters.”

He also took a swipe at MYC alumnus Shamsul Anuar Nasarah for telling DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang to be rational and to exercise caution when issuing statements involving racial unity.

“Shamsul should be directing the statement to the principals, not Lim,” he said.

We want racists fvcked. Period.

MCA, DAP flay BTN, demand punishment for ‘racist’ official

Lim wants the BTN official punished. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — The DAP and MCA demanded the immediate punishment of a National Civics Bureau (BTN) official today for making racist remarks during a Puteri Umno function yesterday.

Lim Kit Siang from the DAP also pushed for BTN to be dissolved in the wake of the comments made by the bureau’s deputy director Hamim Husain.

Hamim had yesterday referred to the Chinese and Indian community as “Si Mata Sepet” and “Si Botol” respectively when asking Puteri Umno members to approach the non-Malays for votes.

“The ‘si mata sepet’ that has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The ‘si botol’ that only knows how to go up to Batu Caves up and down only has one vote,” Hamim told the closed-door gathering.

The BTN, a state agency charged with running courses on patriotism for civil servants and undergraduates, came under fire last year for promoting racism.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration had promised a revamp of BTN’s courses following a widespread public outcry.

Lim said today that the onus was on the Cabinet take action against Hamim

He also challenged the Cabinet to dissolve the entire bureau which he claimed promoted “extremism”.

“The Cabinet is meeting tomorrow. It must act or be exposed for its irrelevance or impotence,” said Lim in a statement today.

He also claimed that the manner in which the BTN controversy was being handled was in stark contrast with Najib’s remarks at the UN General Assembly yesterday where he pushed for moderation to be practised between all major religions and races in the world.

“Borrowing Najib’s analogy in the UN yesterday, the real issue in Malaysia is not between Malays and non-Malays or Muslims and non-Muslims but between the moderates and extremists.

“Would the Cabinet dare to rise up to the challenge tomorrow and answer this national call?” asked Lim.

Separately, MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok also expressed outrage over Hamim’s remarks and urged the Public Service Department to take appropriate action.

Loh also suggested that the police charge Hamim under the Sedition Act for his remarks.

“It is time to put a halt to the arrogance and intolerance of bigots,” said Loh in a statement earlier today.

He said that it was high time the government overhauled the BTN, given that there had been many reports alleging that the bureau’s courses promoted “ethnic supremacy” and racism.

“The Kursus BTN should produce civil servants with a global outlook and a 1 Malaysia mindset of moderation, mutual respect, and not extremists stuck in racial parochialism,” added Loh.

DPM-PM collision course: Agrees with Branson on Sodomy II

Muhyiddin and Najib - collision course?

Malaysia Chronicle

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin raised eyebrows when he agreed with British tycoon Richard Branson that the ongoing sodomy trial against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has hurt Malaysia’s image and the sooner that it was “resolved” the better it would be for the country and its economy.

Branson is not the first international figure to call on Prime Minister Najib Razak to drop the manifestly fabricated case against Anwar. Top world leaders from Nobel Laureate Al Gore to former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin as well as scores of lawmakers from Australia to England have written letters of protest to Najib.

As such, Muhyiddin’s unexpected comments set off renewed speculation that of a widening rift with his boss. In the past, the DPM had always hit back at the international community for interfering in Malaysia’s domestic affairs.

Branson - I hope the case gets dropped

“Whatever is his motive, it does look like Muhyiddin is on a collision course with Najib,” PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Drop it

Branson, founder of budget flights Virgin Group, was in Malaysia to attend an investment seminar. He told reporters that the way the case was being handled turned off the international community and would color foreign investor’s opinion of the country.

"I hope the case gets dropped. The case is fundamentally wrong and it does not make Malaysia look good in the world map,'' Branson said on Monday.

Anwar, the 62-year-old PKR de facto head, has denied sodomising his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a plush condominium in Kuala Lumpur on June 26, 2008. He has accused Najib and his wife Rosmah of collaborating with Saiful to derail his political comeback.

Anwar - has never given up despite the persecution

Indeed, Najib - who initially denied ever knowing Saiful - later confirmed that he had met Saiful before Saiful pressed charges against Anwar. Najib however denied he had coached Saiful into framing Anwar.

On Tuesday, when asked to comment on Branson’s advice, Muhyiddin sprang his surprise.

“His remarks are in the context of how to help Malaysia further move forward and draw the bigger investment that we need. His comment is taken in light of how to support Malaysia’s initiative, and I want to take that sort of angle as to what he is saying,” Muhyiddin told reporters.

“If you ask me, personally, would you like this case to be in the Malaysian court? I wouldn’t like this case to be in the Malaysian court. Of course, it is true that if there are no cases of such profile, then Malaysia will be much better positioned. The sooner this matter is resolved, the better for us.

Freedom to oppose as long as you agree with me

What some people in PAS can’t seem to understand is that PAS is a political party. And as a political party it has every right to propagate and promote its political ideology. And in the case of PAS it is Islamic politics. But PAS can’t deny Malaysians their rights as well. And this right is to reject the PAS brand of politics in favour of some other political ideology.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I was wondering when Rahman Celcom a.k.a. Tulang Besi would crawl out of his hole in the ground. In case some of you are not aware, Rahman was the person who revealed that Ustaz Hadi Awang, Mustaffa Ali, Hassan Ali and a few other top PAS leaders were engaged in secret talks with Umno soon after the March 2008 general election.

People like Rahman and those of his ilk have only one view. And that is if you agree with everything they say, then you are learned (ulamak). If, however, you disagree with what they say, then you are ignorant (jahil).

Your status -- whether you are a learned or an ignorant person -- depends on whether you agree or disagree with what these people think and say. In my case, since I disagree with them, then I am an ignorant person.

It does not matter where I studied. It does not matter how long I studied. It does not matter from whom I studied. It does not matter how many books I may have read and who wrote those books. I am learned only if I agree with their opinion and am ignorant if I do not.

These people are of the view they have the right to propagate, propose, promote, etc., their brand of politics. In this case it happens to be Islamic politics. You and I, however, do not have the right to reject their brand of politics. You must agree with them and not reject them or dispute what they say.

Oh, it’s not that they do not believe in freedom of speech, expression, opinion, association, or whatever. They do. But this freedom is only allowed as long as you too share their views as to what is right and wrong and what is permitted and not permitted.

For example, if they oppose Ketuanan Melayu, and you too oppose Ketuanan Melayu, then they allow you the freedom to oppose Ketuanan Melayu. Your freedom extends to only those areas of ‘common interest’. But once you part company on certain issues then you forfeit your right to this freedom.

Another thing these people believe in is that they have a right to impose their opinion on you. They have a certain opinion and you must accept this opinion. You may not disagree with what they think. Malaysia may be a democracy. But democracy is only allowed as long as you do not disagree with their opinion.

Think what you want. Say what you want. Just make sure you think and say what they too think and say and not opposite to that.

This is the mentality of Rahman Celcom and those of his ilk. And the fact that they tolerate other religions -- although tolerate is something you do when it is a nuisance -- proves that they are very reasonable people.

**********************************************

J. Hussain wrote:

“In Islamic law, crimes are classified in three ways: hudud, qisas (and) Ta’azir...Hudud crimes are those specifically mentioned in the Koran as transgressing the limits which God himself has placed on people's behavior. The hudud crimes are: theft, highway robbery, drinking alcohol, unlawful sexual intercourse and false accusation of unchastity. Some jurists also include murder and apostasy (al-riddah) among the categories of hudud crimes.”

Schacht wrote that hudud is reserved for crimes against Allah for which there can be no mercy or judicial discretion.

Further, Al-Awwa adds “unlawful rebellion” to the list of hudud crimes.

Schacht sets out the specifics of huhud:

“The death penalty either by stoning (the more severe punishment for unlawful intercourse) or by crucifixion or with the sword (for highway robbery with homicide); cutting off hand and/or foot (for highway robbery without homicide and for theft....”

Schacht also confirms the rigidity of Islamic law; that hudud is meted out as:

“... a right or claim of Allah, therefore no pardon or amicable settlement is possible.”

However, in some cases, Muslim law allows a criminal defendant to pay off the victim (diyya) and thus, to escape punishment; an option obviously only available to the wealthy.

REFERENCES:

* Al-Awwa, Muhammad Salim, “The Basis of Islamic Penal Legislation”, published in The Islamic Criminal Justice System (Rome: Oceana Publications Inc., 1982), page 127

* Duhaime, Lloyd, Legal Definition of Ta’azir

* Hussain, J., Islamic Law and Society (Sydney: Federation Press, 1999), page 134

* Schacht, J., An Introduction to Islamic Law (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964), page 175

*****************************************

Raja Petra went to town attacking the PAS Youth Chief for suggesting Hudud as an alternative. My initial response is : AT LEAST SOMEONE IS THINKING OF A SOLUTION TO THE WORSENING CRIME PROBLEM in Malaysia.

Instead of providing a sound alternative, RPK chose to redicule the PAS Youth Chief.

He went to cite the failure of Christian laws in Europe from the history of Christianity. The trouble with this argument is that the same cannot be said about Islamic laws or Hudud. The Islamic Penal Code has been in practiced for 1400 years and NO ONE complained about it's implementation.

The removal of Islamic Penal Code from the lives of Muslims are mostly the handiwork of Colonials like British, Russians, France, Belgium, Dutch etc when Muslim Lands were invaded by them.

In fact, in India, women were prevented from getting inheritence from their fathers because the Common Law of Britain forbids any inheritance to women, at that time, when British first invaded India. For a few hundred years before that women were getting inheritance without any hinderance because they were subjected to Shariah Laws.

So, there lies Raja Petra's main weakness in his argument: he cites examples from the history of CHRISTIANITY which DIFFERS greatly from the history of Islam and Islamic Penal Code.

As far as history has shown, Islamic Penal Code is practiced by Muslims for the last 1400 years and no one complained about it despite the coming and going of Muslim rulers throughout the ages.

So, i beg Raja Petra to come up with a better argument to negate the effectiveness of Islamic Penal Code.

Oh, and Raja Petra also made this argument:

If this is true then why quote the example of the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya? This woman was allegedly killed by Indian Hindus, not by Malay Muslims. And since Hudud applies only to Muslims then it does not matter whether Malaysia does or does not implement these Islamic laws. It would not have deterred these Indian Hindus from killing Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya because they would have been exempted from these laws anyway.

It so happens, the crime of murder falls under QISAS and not HUDUD. And trust me, anyone would agree to QISAS regardless of their religion.

As for me, if a Jewish gentleman name Noah Feldman who actually thinks that Islamic Penal Code is good and practical.

Funny, a guy like RPK who claims to be Muslims, giving hell about Islamic laws while a Jewish professor from Harvard wrote and article in the New York TImes to defend the Shariah.

How the world has turned upside down. Did I mention the Jewish guy is a professor of law from Harvard?

Tulang Besi a.k.a Rahman Celcom

ps i've written before about Raja Petra's shallowness in understanding Islam and the Islamic Penal Code. No matter what RPK says, majority Muslims supports the Shariah and wants it's implementation. Hell, even in Britain, the Shariah is being practiced albeit still limited.

Salahuddin wants PAC to probe MAS scandal

from Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH

Salahuddin: I am speaking on this matter again because this involves public funds, and my function in the special committee is neither as a rubber stamp or ceremonial. We were all appointed by the Yang DiPertuan Agong and we have responsibilities to fulfil.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub has asked Parliament’s Public Account Committee (PAC) to investigate MAS’ RM8 billion losses in the late 1990s allegedly caused by its former executive chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli.

The Kubang Kerian MP said today he had also asked the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) special committee, of which he is a member, to convene a meeting immediately to discuss what he claimed to be the graft buster's failure to investigate the case.

“After I spoke on the issue, I have met with the MACC in parliament, but I was not convinced that any action would be taken against the culprits,” he told a press conference here.

Salahuddin first spoke on the issue last month after receiving a complaint from the national airlines’ lawyer and copies of various reports lodged Tajuddin in his capacity as a member of the special committee.

The MACC special committee consists of lawmakers from the Dewan Rakyat and the Senate and is chaired by Kangar MP Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

“I am speaking on this matter again because this involves public funds, and my function in the special committee is neither as a rubber stamp or ceremonial. We were all appointed by the Yang DiPertuan Agong and we have responsibilities to fulfil,” said Salahuddin.

“I am willing to face any consequences for my action,” he added.

Today, Salahuddin also called on the government to form a royal commission of inquiry to investigate the case.

“Some people may think that a royal commission is a waste of time, but I think it is necessary as it involves three high profile bodies, the Commercial Crime Investigations Department, the MACC and MAS,” he said adding that a royal probe would at least reveal more facts of the case.

MAS had first lodged a police report against Tajuddin in 2002 for allegedly causing the national carrier to suffer losses in excess of RM8 billion.

Tajuddin was the executive chairman from 1994 to 2001.

According to a report to the MACC, one of the single biggest loss under Tajuddin was caused by the relocation of MAS’s cargo operation in Amsterdam and Frankfurt to a single hub in Hahn, Germany, where the airline was forced to enter into a disadvantageous aircraft lease contract with a company, which was later found out to be under the control of Tajuddin’s family.

The new cargo hub operation had caused MAS to suffer losses of between RM10 million and RM16 million a month before the project was terminated after the government regained control of MAS in 2001.

The termination resulted in a RM300 million arbitration claim against MAS by the company said to be linked to Tajuddin.

The report to the MACC dated May last year also alleged that the Attorney-General has been reluctant to prosecute Tajuddin, despite the then-CCID chief Datuk Ramli Yusoff’s assurance in 2007 that it had identified various prosecutable offences.

It also claimed that Tajuddin had been given access to the investigation and police records, which were used to facilitate the arbitration claim.