Strange Way Of Dealing With Refugees

I am confused.

The Malaysian government has been trying to entice Filipinos and Indonesians to become citizens of Malaysia in the hope that these migrants would vote for the BN government come the next general elections.

Personally, I don't know if this will work, but Malaysia has agreed to accept Muslim refugees from the Middle East in exchange for sending non-Muslim Myanmarese refugees to Australia.

This led me to believe that the BN administration was selecting Muslims for their vested interests.

But it looks like I was wrong.

I had not previously heard of the Uighur people of China. These people hail from Xinjiang and are of Caucasoid (European/Turkish) and Mongoloid (Chinese) ancestry.

You may be forgiven for thinking that people from China would be either Taoists or Buddhists. That was what I previously thought.

But the Uighurs are Muslims.

Only today, the BN government deported 11 Uighur people to China.

KUALA LUMPUR A human rights group criticised Malaysia on Tuesday for sending a group of ethnic Uighurs back to China and urged an end to such deportations over fears of mistreatment and even torture.

The UN refugee agency also said it had sought access to the 11 people deported on August 18 as well as five others still in custody in Malaysia but had been den! ied by M alaysian authorities.

A senior Malaysian police official defended the government's actions in comments to AFP, saying the Chinese nationals, all members of the Uighur ethnic minority, were involved in a human-smuggling syndicate.

"This group has nothing to do with any political group or asylum-seekers. They are all involved in people smuggling," he said.

Announcing the deportations on Saturday, police said they had busted a Chinese people smuggling ring which was falsely trying to claim UN refugee status for its victims after smuggling them into Malaysia.

But New York-based Human Rights Watch denounced the deportations and urged they be halted, saying Uighurs faced "grave risk of torture" in China.

It also called on China to make known where the 11 deportees were.

"The treatment of these Uighurs is a litmus test for Malaysia?s commitment to basic principles of refugee protection," it said in a statement.

Many Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking and predominantly Muslim minority in China's remote northwestern Xinjiang region, allege decades of political and religious repression by China.

Their anger -- and China's resulting tight security in the region -- has triggered sporadic bouts of unrest.

The deportations come amid a refugee swap arrangement between Malaysia and Australia, which has been put on hold by a Canberra court.

Rights groups moved to block the deal, citing concerns over Malaysia's record on handling refugees.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman Yante Ismail said the agency had sought access to all 16 Uighurs. She said the five in detention had all previously applied for refugee status with the agency.

"We very much regret that the 11 individuals were deported without the opportunity for us to have access to them," she said in a statement.

The police official said there were no immediate plans to deport the five but that they could face criminal charges over fake Malaysian passports found! on them .

The US-based Uyghur American Association called the deportations a "flagrant violation of international law" by Malaysia.

"(The deportations) follow an extremely disturbing trend of Uighurs deported from countries with strong trade and diplomatic ties to China," it said in a statement.

Human Rights Watch said other countries such as Thailand and Pakistan had recently deported Uighurs back to China, adding that it revealed "the bullying hand of China".

I would derive two conclusions from this:

1. While the BN government tries to bully its Malaysian-Chinese citizens, it has a profound fear of China, with whom it has business dealings.

2. While the BN government is seeking more Muslims to form a bigger Muslim majority, it is still wary enough of increasing the Chinese population in Malaysia.

3. The BN government will happily ditch the Muslims when it suits them.

I guess all those protests against atrocities in Palestine are just grandstanding.

DNA samples may be useless...

DNA samples that are more than 36-hour-old are no longer meaningful evidence, Australian forensic pathologist Dr David Wells told the Sodomy II trial today. He told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that it would be difficult to get results from such a specimen, in reply to a question by defence lawyer Sankara Nair.

Sankara: If the specimen is in the rectum of (the complainant) for 56 hours before it was extracted can DNA be retrieved?

Wells: I would be exceedingly surprised... I've not been on a case where DNA taken from the anus or rectum more than 24 to 36 hours after the deposit. It will add to it another lengthy period without air drying... I would be sceptical to get any meaningful results.

Complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan had previously told the court that Kuala Lumpur General Hospital doctors had took samples from him two days after he was allegedly sodomised.

It was also then established that the specimens included semen samples which were then sealed and handed over to investigations office Supt Jude Blacious Pereira, who had kept it for another 43 hours before it was sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis on June 30, 2008. Sankara asked Wells on the condition in which the sample were when it was sent for analysis.

Different expert opinions

Wells said that the it is important to ensure the swab samples are air dried, frozen or immediately taken to the laboratory, otherwise the DNA samples would deteriorate, especially in a well moist environment.

This however, contradicted chemist Dr Seah Lay Hong's testimony in the past where she had said that there was no need for steps to taken to ensure there was no degradation to the quality! of the sample after 56 hours.

Similarly, Dr Mohd Razali Ibrahim from HKL, who examined Saiful, had said that seminal fluid can stay in the rectum for 72 hours. The lawyer then told Wells that the investigation officer had also found it fit to remove the semen sample from a sealed package to repackage and store it in a cabinet instead of a freezer.

I'm not a police officer but I suspect he would be looking for a new job, replied Wells, to the amusement of the gallery full of Anwar's supporters, reporters and observers.

Sankara asked Wells to comment on Jude's mistake in labelling the semen specimen during the early stages of the trial.

The integrity of the specimen is absolutely crucial... if they found a mistake they (the police) should have informed the laboratory, said Wells.

Police should not be present Wells added that he could not comment on the seriousness of the experts who analysed the samples. But I would rather put it as - someone new to the task and inexperienced (had done the job), said Wells.

Earlier today, Wells told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that he prefers police officers not be present during an examination of sexual assault victims. Wells, who specialises in the field of sexual assault cases, said he would normally carry out an examination alone with the help of nurses.

"It's very intimate, it's intrusive, and there is danger of contamination. "Victims may feel uncomfortable, said Wells - the defence's third witness - and they may even feel pressured by the presence of the police officers.

Wells explained this is the practise in Australia and in many jurisdictions. During the examination of complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, investigating officer Supt Jude Blacious Pereira was in the room along with the doctors inspecting Saiful.

Doctors must acc! ess pati ent's history

The doctors who inspected Saiful on the night he came to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur were Dr Razali Ibrahim, Dr Siew Sheue Feng, Dr Razuin Rahimi and Dr Khairul Nizam Hassan.

Replying to questions from defence lawyer Sankara Nair during examination-in-chief, Wells described the medical report filled by the Hospital Kuala Lumpur doctors as being inaccurate and ambiguous. He noted discrepancies and disparities between the HKL proforma form for sexual assault cases and the medical report of Saiful. While the form stated there was bleeding, the medical report says there was none.

Wells who had stayed in Malaysia for seven years' and his father had worked for first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, emphasised the importance of noting the history of a patient or victim.

It allows doctors the time to assess the patient, the confidence (of the patient) and also records what the person tells you.

It's an important (aspect) of documenting a patient-led process of what they uttered, he said, adding that for sexual cases it is important to record the details, as it would be scrutinised by many people. Wells also noted it is important to record the bowel habits of a sodomy victim.

'Deficiencies in HKL report'

The witness described the HKL report on Saiful as deficient and inaccurate. This follows the word no conclusive findings suggestive of penetration to the anus/rectum nor any significant defensive wounds on the body of the patient.

The word conclusive is 'misleading' and ambiguous. I would also not write a report with the presence of Male DNA types B5, B7, B8 and B9. I would not want to record if you want to interpret it.

Sankara: Is it (what is stated in the report) presumptive as well?

Wells: It is inaccurate, yes. He also expressed dissatisfaction when shown the HKL's proforma form on! Saiful as he noted some portions are partially incomplete. He also found that in the proforma states there was bleeding but in the medical report by the HKL doctors it is stated otherwise.

Sankara: The proforma should be filled in properly.

Wells: It must be filled in to show all of the examination was done accordingly. I am puzzled by the crucial missing parts.

Sankara: Is contamination a real big issue in testing?

Wells: It is a real issue, as you always run into the risk of other DNA being there. That is why I asked that. The witness said that he does not prefer using a lubricant but would instead use sterile water, as this would prevent contamination, and the witness said it is not good to rely on a single DNA test.

Sankara: (So it's) not safe to rely on DNA evidence?

Wells: Yes, there can be other tests to back it up.

source:malaysiakini

Sampel DNA mungkin tidak bermakna

Semen from Saifuls anus cannot be used as evidence, says forensic expert

cheers.

Siapa yang Liwat Saiful: Anwar atau Plastik?

NOTA EDITOR: Saiful mengaku kepada doktor Muhammad Osman Abdul Hamid beliau masukkan plastik dlm jubor beliau. Soalnya adakah Saiful diliwat Anwar ataupun dia diliwat PLASTIK?

18SX: Plastik Apa Yang Liwat Juboq Saiful?



Saiful beritahu plastik dimasukkan ke duburnya

Saksi pembelaan kedua, bekas doktor di Hospital Pusrawi Dr Mohamad Osman Abdul Hamid dalam keterangannya berkata Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, pegandu dalam kes liwat yang membabitkan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim memberitahunya bahawa objek plastik dimasukkan ke dalam duburnya seperti dinyatakan dalam laporan perubatannya.

dr mohamed osman abdul hamid pusrawi hospital saiful bukhari azlan anwar ibrahim sodomy 2 interview 040908 07Apabila diasak oleh ketua pendakwaan Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, Dr Osman (kanan) bersetuju bahawa Saiful mendakwa beliau diliwat oleh seorang VIP tetapi juga mempertahankan kenyataannya bahawa bekas pembantu Anwar itu juga mengakui objek plastik dimasukkan ke duburnya.

Beliau merupakan doktor pertama ditemui Saiful pada 28 jun 2008.

Saksi yang berasal dari Myanmar dan mendapat pendidikan perubatannya dari Universiti Yangon berulang-kali menafikan cadangan oleh Peguam Cara Negara II itu bahawa beliau tidak menulis plastik dimasukkan ke dubur selepas pemeriksaan dijalankan.

Jelasnya, Saiful datang ke Pusrawi pada 28 Jun, 2008 dan mengadu kesakitan di duburnya.

Selepas menjalankan pemeriksaan, beliau dapati tiada kesan koyakan atau berdarah di kawasan berkenaan dan ketika itu Saiful memberitahu dia diliwat dengan objek plastik dimasukkan ke duburnya.

Hospital Pusrawi Emergency ward 280708.jpgSaya ada catatkan ini selepas Saiful beritahu saya selepas pemeriksaan dijalankan dan ada masukkan sebuah protoskop, katanya.

Menjawap soalan Yusof, Osman berkata memasukkan plastik bukan meliwat. Beliau juga menafikan baha! wa nota perubatan itu ditambah kemudiannya.

Yusof: Nota (mengenai objek plastik berkenaan) dicatatkan kemudian?

Osman: Nota ditambah selepas pasca pemeriksaan.

Yusof: Saya andaikan dia tidak kata sebarang plastik.

Osman: Dia (Saiful) ada beritahu saya.

Karpal, dalam pemeriksaan balas, kemudian bertanya sama ada nota dicatakan pada hari selepasnya. Osman bagaimanapun menafikannya dan berkata ia dicatatkan pada hari yang sama.

mKini

Kenyataan Media: JPK Pilihan Khas Pembaharuan Pilihan Raya Tak Gambarkan Keikhlasan PM & UMNO-BN

Saya merujuk kenyataan terbaru Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Timbalan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi dan Ahli Parlimen Temerloh yang meminta Pakatan Rakyat menyertai Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Pembaharuan Pilihan Raya dan tidak mempersoalkan keikhlasan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan UMNO-BN dalam menubuhkannya.

Saya pertama sekali ingin memuji Datuk Saifuddin sebagai antara minoriti kecil Menteri/Timbalan Menteri BN yang punya keberanian menyatakan prinsip dan pandangannya walaupun diserang bertubi-tubi oleh UMNO sendiri.

Pun begitu dalam hal ini saya berbeza pandangan dengannya.

Amalan perlantikan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas ini adalah amalan Parlimen Westminster. Secara tradisinya, Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Awam (Public Accounts Committee atau PAC) yang dilihat memainkan peranan penting dalam memastikan kebertanggungjawaban dan ketelusan Kerajaan yang memerintah dipengerusikan Ahli Parlimen pembangkang. Ini bukan sahaja amalan di negara maju. India, misalnya, mempunyai Pengerusi PAC yang dipilih daripada pembangkang sejak tahun 1967.

Negeri pertama di Malaysia yang mengusulkan agar Pengerusi PAC diberikan kepada pihak pembangkang ialah Selangor di bawah Pakatan Rakyat pada tahun 2010. Cadangan itu dipersetujui oleh YB Khir Toyo dalam pertemuan dengan Speaker DUN Selangor Dato Teng Chang Khim sebelum Sidang DUN pada Julai 2010 tetapi kemudian usul perlantikan Pengerusi PAC daripada pembangkang (BN) ditolak ketika Sidang DUN berlangsung.

Saya tidak tahu mengapa BN tukar fikiran di Selangor, tetapi kita berharap PM dapat menunjukkan kepimpinannya dan keikhlasannya dalam transformasi demokrasi negara dengan meletakkan syarat ini. Saya yakin Pakatan Rakyat tiada masalah menerimanya.

Malah, bukan ini sahaja. Pada 15 Ogos PM menegaskan penubuhan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Pembaharuan Pilihan Raya dibuat bagi memastikan pilihan raya akan datang akan dijalankan secara bersih dan adil tanpa boleh dipertikaikan mana-mana pihak.

Ini nampaknya ekoran nasihat penasiha! t-penasi hat dan konsultan-konsultan mewah yang dilantik BN yang melihat kesan negatif cara PM menguruskan BERSIH 2.0.

Tetapi penyakit flip-flop ini terus menular dalam Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Pembaharuan Pilihan Raya apabila PM tunduk kepada Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan menegaskan pilihan raya boleh diadakan bila-bila masa dan tidak tertakluk kepada Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas tersebut.

Setiap pelajar undang-undang dan Perlembagaan Malaysia tahu kuasa membubarkan Parlimen adalah tertakluk kepada nasihat PM kepada Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong. Mengapa PM harus mengalah kepada TPM dalam hal ini?

Wujud sedikit harapan bahawa PM akan akhirnya menunjukkan kepimpinannya dan menjadikan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas ini sebagai warisannya kepada demokrasi Malaysia tetapi nampaknya harapan tersebut berkecai lagi.

Beza Pakatan dan BN ialah jelas Pakatan cakap serupa bikin dan BN pula cakap tak serupa bikin.

Sodomy II -- For the record from MI (2)

Sodomy II: Forensic expert says HKL report deficient, flawed

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

August 23, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 A forensic pathologist has challenged the results and findings of the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) medical examination done on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahims accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, claiming that the medical report itself was deficient.

The defences second witness, forensic pathologist Dr David Wells told the High Court that parts of the report prepared by then-HKL doctors Dr Mohd Razali Ibrahim, Dr Siew Sheue Feng and Dr Khairul Nizam Hassan were inaccurate.

All three were the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) doctors examining Saiful on June 28, 2008 when he complained that he had been sodomised by a high-profile politician.

I didnt get a sense of confidence that the authors (of the report) knew exactly what they were talking about...The report is significantly deficient, Dr Wells told the court today.

Dr Wells disagreed with the conclusion of the report- that it stated that there were no conclusive findings suggestive of penetration to the anus/rectum nor any significant defensive wounds on the body of the patient.

The report should have just read no clinical findings. The word conclusive leaves a doubt as to whether there was penetration, he said, adding that the rest of the report showed that there was no form of penetration.

Another point of contention for the forensic expert was the contradiction between Saifuls proforma report and medical examination report.

Dr Wells noted that while Saifuls proforma form said there was bleeding in the anus, the medical examination results showed otherwise.

He also argued that the proforma form was not filled in properly.

It must be filled in to show all of the examination was do! ne acco rdingly. I am puzzled by the crucial missing parts, added Dr Wells.

The trial will continue at 2.30pm today.

Anwar is charged with sodomising former aide Saiful at a condominium in Bukit Damansara here between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26.

He faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted under section 377B of the Penal Code, but will escape the whipping sentence due to his age. ~~ MI

Muslihat di sebalik permohonan maaf Kompas (Malaysiakini)

Ahad lalu, harian terkenal Indonesia Kompas memohon maaf kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak berhubung laporan yang diterbitkan mengenai dirinya dan isterinya, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Namun, permohonan maaf itu didapati hanya diselitkan dalam satu wawancara dengan Najib. Malaysiakini juga difahamkan bahawa ia juga dilakukan pada saat-saat terakhir oleh pengurusan tertinggi Kompas.

Artikel pedas, yang menjadi kontroversi itu bertajuk 'Istri PM Najib dan Cincin 24 Juta Dollar'. Ia disiarkan pada isu Kompas 4 Ogos lalu tetapi dengan mudahnya boleh dilayari di versi Internet di Malaysia.

Antara lain, artikel itu mengaitkan Rosmah dengan pembelian kontroversi sebentuk cincin bernilai RM24 juta, dan mendakwa bakal besan Rosmah, Maira Nazarbayev, mempunyai hubungan dengan "mafia Rusia".

Maira Nazarbayev dari Kazakhstan adalah ibu kepada Daniyar Nazarbayev yang telah bertunang dengan Nooryana Najwa, anak gadis Najib dan Rosmah.

Kompas juga dalam laporannya itu menyifatkan Rosmah sebagai menjalani "kehidupan yang penuh kontroversi", dan mengaitkannya dengan Perimekar, syarikat yang dikatakan telah menerima komisen jutaan ringgit berikutan penjualan kapal selam Scorpene.

Menurut penulis, perjanjian yang mencurigakan itu antara faktor yang membawa kepada pembunuhan wanita warga Mongolia Altantuya Shaariibuu pada tahun 2006.

Menyedari artikel berkenaan mampu memberi kesan dan menjejaskan reputasi Najib, dua penasihat perhubungan awam tidak rasmi Najib - seorang daripada mereka dikaitkan dengan konglomerat Indonesia - bertindak segera mententeramkan keadaan - dengan meminta Kompas memohon maaf.

Menurut sumber Malaysiakini, permohonan maaf yang dituntut oleh Pejabat Perdana Menteri (PMO) pada mulanya ditolak oleh editor Kompas yang bertegas mempertahankan artikel mereka, khususnya berhubung dakwaan kegiatan kongsi gelap Maira, yang juga boleh dilayari secara meluas di Internet.

Dua penasihat itu kemudiannya mengancam mengugut Kompas dengan tindakan undang-undang, tetapi ini juga gagal untuk menundukkan akhbar Indonesia yang berpengaruh itu.

Kompas, bagaimanapun bersetuju membuka ruang kepada Najib untuk menjawap dan menangkis segala tuduhan dengan menghantar editor antarabangsa, Jimmy Harianto bagi menemubual Najib di Putrajaya pada Khamis lalu.

Bagiamanapun pada Ahad lalu, agensi berita nasional Bernama mengesahkan bahawa Kompas telah meminta maaf kepada Najib.

Setakat ini, mengapa Kompas membuat pusingan U pada saat-saat terakhir belum jelas tetapi menurut sumber, keputusan berkenaan telah dibuat dalam keadaan "situasi luar biasa".

Namun, akhbar itu jelas tidak membuat permohonan maaf secara penuh - ia boleh diibaratkan sebagai 'permohonan maaf separuh'.

Malah, permohonan maaf itu diselitkan pada perenggan 10 di halaman 10 akhbar itu dalam laporan yang bertajuk 'PM Najib Razak: Demokrasi Juga Terjadi di Malaysia'.

Artikel wawancara dengan Najib itu memetik perdana menteri Malaysia itu menafikan dakwaan dalam artikel Kompas sebelum ini dan diikuti dengan permohonan maaf satu ayat yang berbunyi: Atas pemberitaan tersebut, Pemimpin Redaksi Kompas Rikard Bagun, Sabtu (20 Ogos) di Jakarta, secara khusus menyatakan permintaan maafnya kepada Ketua Kerajaan dan Keluar! ga."

Selain menerbitkan penafian Najib, akhbar itu juga tidak menyatakan bahawa dakwaan dalam artikelnya itu adalah tidak benar. Malah Kompas juga tidak menarik semula balik artikel, yang didakwa menghina Najib dan isterinya itu.

Namun, di Malaysia, media arus perdana mencanang-canangkan permohonan maaf itu dan menyiarkannya di halaman utama mereka.

Q&A: Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin

Malaysia is known for its moderate brand of Islam and has been touted as a model for other nations. But government officials have recently warned that more conservative strands of the faith - especially the Wahhabi version of Islam prevalent in Saudi Arabia - are on the rise.

Malaysian Muslim scholar Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin is drawing attention across Malaysia for talking openly about conservative Islam, with his speeches drawing big crowds across the country. The Wall Street Journals Celine Fernandez recently spoke with Mr. Muhammad Asri about the changing role of religion in one of Asias key economies. Edited excerpts follow.

Q: Critics say your interpretations of Islam sets you apart from other Islamic scholars in Malaysia. What are your main religious beliefs and how are they different from Islam as defined by Malaysias religious establishment?

A: In Malaysia at the moment there arent many conservative Muslims but they are in important government positions. While progressive groups have contributed a lot of significant reforms over the years, they are marginalized by conservative groups who control the institutions of religion in government and ensure that only their school of thought is given an opportunity. The government is probably concerned that members of the progressive movement will criticize things they see. Perhaps there is a tendency of certain parties to maintain elements of racism and extreme religious fanaticism to protect their political interests.

My grasp of Islam is that Islam is a religion that blesses everyone, regardless of race or religion. More than that, the blessing encompasses the entire universe. Any interpretation of Islam that leads to injustice, oppression, hostility to other people, ignorance, caste systems in society, racism, fanaticism that doesnt respect the rights of! others - all of these must be rejected. Islam must be described as a religion of love for others, with a respect for rights, respect for knowledge, rejecting superstition and basing all practices on real arguments.

Q: A local newspaper quoted you as saying, My duty is to present Islam in its modern face and get it out of the clutches of ultra-conservatives, who have made the religion look obsolete. How do you propose to do this?

A: Some of the fundamental Islamic beliefs, ways of worship and principles of morality do not change. However, there are things that can be changed by factors of place, time and people. We must understand that some religious texts are actually based in a particular context during the Prophets time. We just have to take the spirit of texts only, not implementing the texts literally. Islam is not rigid. We live in a technological age. Islam has the approach and language to this age. Most of the texts of Islam have general meanings, and they are open to various interpretations because God knows people will live in a variety of conditions.

Q: You have said some of Islams traditions and rituals have no basis in the Prophets teachings. Some view this as extremist and allege that your views are linked to the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. Is that true?

A: If the talk is about how to worship in Islam, yes, there are many things I agree with in the schools of thought against innovation in worship. I cannot accept practices of worship that are not based on evidence from the Quran and the hadith. (But) I am not a Wahhabi. I am not a follower of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhabi. In fact there are many fatwas from Saudi scholars that I do not agree with. But I still think they have their own distinctive contribution for Muslim societies around the world. We should appreciate all the parties.

Q: Why is the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam not encouraged in Malaysia?

A: If Wahhabi means inviting people to be fanatical! , rigid, stern, uncompromising, and the like, I oppose it. In my opinion some religious views in some Gulf countries are rather narrow, especially on women, non-Muslims and political issues and a few other things. There are also a lot of sound and relevant opinions among them. However, even if we disagree with their views, that doesnt mean we can accuse them of terrorism.

In the context of Western journalism, the word Wahhabi has many connotations. All of them lead to an understanding that it is an Islamic movement perceived as strictly following the legal opinions and evidences from al-Quran and as-Sunnah in their literal senses, while refusing to consider more modern or Western-influenced interpretations. In Malaysia, the word Wahhabi is quite a mysterious term. Many use the term or slander others by it, without a clue about its meaning. In some places, a person is accused of being a Wahhabi for disagreeing with superstitious rituals and beliefs. This includes hanging pictures of certain individuals like the sultan or a sheikh in the belief that it brings good charm or increases their earnings, or tying a black thread on a newborns hand in the belief that it will protect the baby from bad luck, and many other erroneous beliefs haunting parts of our society. When people begin to criticize the practices, they simply say, you are Wahhabi.

Q: What do you think about the current political/religious situation in Malaysia more broadly? Do you feel free to practice your beliefs? Is Malaysia heading in the right or wrong direction, and why?

A: Religious authorities in Malaysia should be more open-minded. Their attitude is to force others to think in only one way, and that is not the attitude of a civilized people. They should remember what happened to the church when they refused to change and suppressed people who wanted to change.

Q: What is your long-term goal for Malaysia? Where would you like to see it go in terms of practice of religion here?

A: We n! eed tajd id in Muslim society in Malaysia. There are two different definitions that can be assigned to tajdid. The first definition is to restore the religions original look just as we would restore the condition of something that has gone bad or has expired. A practical example is the renewal of our driving license.

The second definition of tajdid involves the innovation of certain elements to fulfill contemporary needs, such as the innovation of a modern vehicle. In this instance were talking about something that has never been created before, but it serves the same basic purpose required by humankind. In the context of Islam, innovation should be performed such that it does not change the religion but rather satisfies the new understanding or views brought about by changes in circumstances, though it should not deviate from the essence and the requirement of al-Quran and al-Sunnah. A lot of the contemporary issues we are encountering these days were not known in the past. To ensure a continuous survival of society, various new opinions are required. The opinions of preceding theologians may not be wrong, but may have expired due to changes in time and circumstance.

Source : The Wall Street Journal

Two humble words dont make a convert

The raid at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) under the pretext that the organisers of the fundraiser were attempting to convert Muslims is simply absurd.

Citing Section 4 of the Non-Islamic Religious Enactment 1988, the raid while causing an uproar among religious communities received the support of the Muslim lobby groups.

Among those ignorantly supporting the raid was Selangor executive councillor for religious matters, Dr Hasan Ali.

He defended the raid, claiming that the words pray and Quran were used in the presence of the 12 Muslims who were among the 100 who attended the dinner on Aug 3.

Are just two humble words pray and Quran good enough to turn the Muslims who attended the dinner into murtads or apostates?

If that is the case, let me then share my experience with Hasan and all those whose iman or faith sways each time pray and Quran are recited by the Christians.

Some years back, I had befriended a Muslim woman and we soon became good friends, so much so that she on many occasions sought my help with baby-sitting her school-going daughter while she was kept busy with her local councillors job.

I was literally living with this single mother and while our religious sentiments differed, she perhaps took it for granted that I would someday open my heart to her religion of Islam and consider converting.

Show of support

In fact, there were times when she would tease me for not returning to the true path, that is, to Islam and even asked me if I was open to converting to Islam.

There were times when just as I was about to take my medication, this friend would ask me to utter bismillah only to realise she was going a little too far. Did I take off! ence? No , because I knew where I stood as far as Islam was concerned.

Likewise, I took no offence when she asked me to accompany her to Mecca, to perform her Haj pilgrimage. I told her I would if only a non-Muslim was allowed to set foot in Mecca, which sadly is not the case.

I remember the first time when I spent the month of Ramadan with her and her daughter. I decided I too would puasa or fast, as a way to lend my support to this friend. I fasted throughout the Ramadan month, like my Muslim friend did.

For the first time in my life I set foot at a Ramadan bazaar and for the first time, too, I ate the kurma or dates during sahur (meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting) and ate and drank next only at night when it was time for iftar or break fast.

I was not used to eating at 4.30am or 5am but nevertheless that was the least I could do as a show of support to my friend.

But did I convert to Islam? No, because I never was in love with the religion to want to make it a part of my life. But then this does not mean I respect the religion any less. The fasting was to show support and also to experience what the Muslims did during the month of Ramadan.

Umno, JAIS got it all wrong

Does the fact that this friend asked me to utter the word bismillah and point-blank asked me to convert warrant action against her for attempting to convert me?

When she or her daughter did their puasa ganti, that is, replace those days they could not fast, I, while under no obligation, joined them as well. Why? Because they were no less a family to me and my faith was not about to crumble just because I decided to fast as the Muslims do and listen to the television for the azan (call for prayer) indicating it is time to break fast.

As far as I was concerned, my friend had her freedom to fulfil her religious obligations and I had mine. To fast and listen to the religious talks on television was hardly going to make a murtad. It was done t! o enhanc e my understanding of what the month of Ramadan is all about.

When this friend of mine decided to go to Mecca, I remember getting all excited and going to bookstores to look for books that would help prepare her for that very important moment of her life.

I read just as she did about Mecca, the Kaabah, doing the saie (walking back and forth between Mounts Safa and Marwah) and tawaf (circumambulating the Kaabah seven times). In short, I was no Muslim but I knew a fair bit about Islam, because I chose to, for knowledge sake and not for any devious reason.

Back to the DUMC issue, for JAIS to issue a flimsy excuse that it was concerned that the Muslims who attended the farewell dinner would sway towards Christianity only reflects JAIS own insecurity over Islam.

As my experience of having lived with a Muslim friend shows, it was all about lending support to a friend in the month of Ramadan. There was no question of my becoming a murtad or embracing Islam. There was no such fear because the intention was clear to understand and support.

So when the Malay-dominant party Umno and JAIS make much ado about nothing over the DUMC farewell dinner, they are only making a fool of themselves, for not having enough trust in fellow Muslims.

It takes more than listening to words like pray and Quran to denounce ones religion. I should know, for I have been there and done that, and am still Jeswan Kaur and not the Malay name this friend so fondly wanted to re-name me with.

Winnable candidates?

Winnable candidate is the term that was coined by Najib since he took office. He has repeatedly stress this to all BN component party on the need to ensure a good win. Obviously what are the criteria to be a winnable candidate to urban, semi urban and rural areas are different as the need for the subset population varies. In a rural setting the choice of candidate is secondary to the flag as many tend to vote a party rather than a candidate. It is sad but reality is the voters dont really know the candidate.

In an urban setting is the choice of candidates relevant? This is a question that I asked myself repeatedly but could not come to any decent conclusion. However I sensed that in an urban setting, the real interest among the educated and political aware people is that they are concerned about issues. Right now unfortunately, we see that BN is implementing micro solutions is addressing issues and this micro solutions are publicized in a big way. Unfortunately in the urban setting, the people can see that this has little impact.

There are many examples out there. Let me highlight some of it. The issue of legally stealing from the government coffers is a big deal with the people but this has not been addressed. The independence of the judiciary and the AG has not been addressed as well. Over the years, it becomes clearer that the AG and the judiciary generally are not independent. Within the judiciary there are good judges that make sound judgment against the government and we can see that their career progression is stagnated.

Our healthcare system is packed and the issue of quality of service and accessibility is not addressed in a holistic manner. Instead the government opted for Klinik 1M where it is open for the sake of winning heart and minds of the people but not really addressing the needs. How many of us realized that the government Klinik 1M has no doct! ors but operates like a GP clinic and has a Capex of 3X more than a GP setting? It has an Opex of 2X of the GP run clinics. It would be a long list if I want to write all of them down. Yet the accessibility and delivery of quality healthcare is not being addressed.

It appears that unless, BN field a vocal candidates with freedom of expression, I see very little chance of any BN candidates would be a winnable candidate in an urban setting. Other than KJ on occasional basis, do we see any other BN candidates that seem to question the relevant issues on hand? How does BN expect to field a winnable candidate when the potentials have not spoken on issues? What is clear is that those that spoke against relevant issues where the government is not addressing it will be censured. For that they prefer to follow the stream and not ruffling feathers as that is the only route to be a candidate. I hope BN leadership will not only open their eyes but their heart as well in finding winnable candidates.

PSC to mull over Bersih's demands...

Proposals by NGOs will become major component of the framework for the parliamentary select committee (PSC) to study improvements to the electoral system.

Minister in charge of Parliamentary affairs Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, however, refused to confirm if these proposals came from the outlawed Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, better known as Bersih 2.0.

We have discussed in detail on the framework. We have agreed that what has been suggested by the content of the memorandum given by the various NGOs looking into electoral reforms will be put into the framework.

The content will contain the framework, including the eight matters raised by the NGOs, said Nazri.

Asked whether the NGOs he was referring to include Bersih 2.0,

Nazri was coy and instead said: I'm sure some of them are legal.

The Bersih 2.0 coalition is an unregistered body but the group's leaders said that it is perfectly legal because it is a coalition of like-minded groups.

An open endorsement of Bersih 2.0's demands would leave the government red-faced as it had tried to paint the group as illegal, out to takeover the federal government by force, influenced by foreign groups and trying to spread communism.

After a meeting with Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof and other representatives for more than an hour today, Nazri said it was decided that the EC will put up a framework which will be presented first to the cabinet.

Once it is approved by the cabinet the proposed framework will be put through to the Parliament's rights and privileges committee, he said.

This memorandum, ! the basi s is free and fair elections and actually from the side of the government, we feel that there are no actions under present laws that could result in an unfair or not free election, he added.

He stressed that the setting-up of the PSC was a mere preventive measure to avoid mishaps that would justify claims such as double voting in future.

There is no point having a select committee if we don't look into all these. We don't want, as they (the opposition) claim, to be window dressing. We will look into these from the point of view of prevention, he said.



Indelible ink and biometric system

Among the eight-point demands proposed was to implement the usage of indelible ink, but Nazri said this option will be proposed alongside the EC's suggestion for a biometric system.

The framework will be prepared by the cabinet meeting scheduled for Sept 7 and put through to the Dewan Rakyat by way of a motion when the sitting resumes on Oct 3.

The idea behind the setting-up of the PSC was put forth by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak last week to put to rest claims of rigged polls or any other forms of manipulation to the electoral roll.

Asked on the demands for Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to head the PSC instead of a minister, Nazri attributed that it is easier for a minister to head the committee as they have easier access to the government departments.

It will be much easier for the minister to give instructions to the civil servants. I think it's easier for civil servants to receive instructions from a minister, rather than someone else.

Also, the chair must command the respect of the committee and we are in the opinion that in past pr! actices, having a minister as the chair makes the work of the select committee much easier, said Nazri.

He explained that once the PSC is formed, the members will have a six-month time frame to submit its findings to the Dewan Rakyat.

source:malaysiakini

Tuntutan BERSIH dalam rangka kerja JK khas

PSC Members Line-Up to Be Announced Oct 3

cheers.

KESUDAHAN SEGALA URUSAN

Firman Allah bermaksud:

"Dan sesiapa yang berserah diri bulat-bulat kepada Allah (dengan ikhlas) sedang ia berusaha mengerjakan kebajikan, maka sesungguhnya ia telah berpegang kepada simpulan (tali agama) yang teguh dan (ingatlah) kepada Allah jualah kesudahan segala urusan."

[ Surah Luqman: 22 ]

Anwars unsworn statement an indictment of Malaysias political, justice systems...

By making an unsworn statement from the dock today in his sodomy trial, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has now put the whole country, its judiciary, the media and our entire justice system on trial.

More than that, he has given notice to politicians like Datuk Seri Najib Razak and other players in his prosecution that he intends to place them on trial as well.

Whether one agrees with this move or not, the message is clear.

Sodomy II is no longer about whether he is guilty of sodomising his aide if it ever was in the first place but will now be an attack against the political and justice system which he claims has conspired to put him in this position.

Make no mistake; what Anwar did today was make a political statement from the dock.

Anwar played by the rules in Sodomy I more than a decade ago and it got him a few years in jail.

His attempts then to introduce evidence of political conspiracy were met with the constant refrain of irrelevant, irrelevant, irrelevant.

So any attempt now to examine from a legal perspective his unusual decision to make a statement from the dock is in fact irrelevant.

Anwar explained today that he was opting to testify from the dock, where the prosecution has no recourse under law to cross-examine his statement, because he had no confidence he would be tried fairly, and declared the entire court process is nothing but a conspiracy by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to send me into political oblivion by attempting once again to put me behind bars.

In his own words:As I have said at the outset, this is not a criminal trial. It is a charade staged by the powers that be to put me out of action in ! order th at they remain in power.

Najib Razak is doing the same thing as his mentor did, which is to employ all means within his power through the media, the police, the Attorney-General and the judiciary in order to subvert the course of justice and to take me out of the political equation.

So what Anwar is telling Malaysians is that he thinks that whatever the evidence he puts before the court he is still going to jail.

So he chose to have his say in court today.- Ramli Zain

source:malaysia insider

cheers.