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International Muslim-Christian dialogue “postponed” — strange, stranger and strangest

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday that the international Muslim-Christian dialogue — the Building Bridges seminar — organized by the London office of the Archbishop of Canterbury has not been cancelled but postponed.

He said it was postponed because he had to attend to some urgent matters that coincided with the seminar which was scheduled for May 7-11, 2007.

Abdullah said he did not want the inter-religious conference to proceed without him.

He said: “I have an important role to play in the conference and I don’t want it to be held when I am not around.” The government would have to find another suitable date for the international inter-religious dialogue.

The events and circumstances surrounding the “postponement’ had been strange, stranger and strangest.

Strange because when news first broke in London Times on Thursday that there had been a “last-minute cancellation” of the international Muslim-Christian dialogue in Malaysia, nobody knew its reason despite numerous attempts by various persons and bodies responsible for organizing it to seek explanation from the authorities. The Building Bridges conference was cancelled with just a short two-week notice although it was mooted a year ago causing great disruptions as many international participants had finalized their flight arrangements. Continue reading “International Muslim-Christian dialogue “postponed” — strange, stranger and strangest”

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Ipoh Timur kicks off support for Po Kuan and condemn two sexist BN MPs

The people of Pasir Pinji and Ipoh Timur parliamentary constituency tonight stand in the very national forefront to give full support and solidarity to DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan and condemn the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) Members of Parliament, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) for their derogatory, crude, vulgar, sexist and gender-offensive attack on Po Kuan and all Malaysian women, making an utter mockery of Mother’s Day tomorrow.

I thank the people of Pasir Pinji and Ipoh Timur for their public-spiritedness and sense of justice in just supporting by an unanimous show of hands a four-point resolution over this issue, viz:

  • CONDEMN the two sexist BN MPs, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) for their derogatory, crude, vulgar, sexist and gender-offensive remarks against a woman MP, Fong Po Kuan (DAP — Batu Gajah) bringing shame and dishonour not only to Po Kuan, but also to Parliament and all Malaysian women.
  • URGE all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, political belief, sex or age to come forward to stand as one to give full support to Fong Po Kuan and demand that the most severe punishment must be meted out to the two sexist BN MPs for bringing shame and dishonour to Po Kuan, Parliament and Malaysian women.
  • REGRET that not a single Barisan Nasional MP, whether Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, man or woman, had the political principle and courage of conviction to stand up in Parliament to support Po Kuan to condemn the two sexist BN MPs for their shameful and abominable conduct in Parliament; and
  • CALL on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to honour his 2004 general election pledge to “hear the truth” from the people and to be modern-day Justice Bao by taking severe disciplinary actions against the two sexist BN MPs for their derogatory, crude, vulgar, sexist and gender-offensive remarks which have brought shame and dishonour to Parliament and all Malaysian women, making an utter mockery of Mother’s Day tomorrow.

BN women MPs owe Malaysians an explanation as to why they chickened out and abdicated from their responsibility to defend and uphold women honour and dignity when they came under attack by the two sexist BN MPs in the last two days of Parliament. They must in particular explain their spineless conduct in three instances: Continue reading “Ipoh Timur kicks off support for Po Kuan and condemn two sexist BN MPs”