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Why Egypt’s crackdown on Islamists will lead to bloodshed

Mohamad Bazzi
Reuters
Hindustani Times
Jul 02, 2015

On June 29, Egypt’s top prosecutor was killed in a car bomb attack as he left his home in Cairo. He was the most senior official to be assassinated since Islamic militants launched an insurgency two years ago after the Egyptian military ousted Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected president.

The assassination of the prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, is a tragedy but it’s not surprising. Egypt spiraled into a cycle of state-sanctioned violence, repression and vengeance as soon as the military removed Morsi from power in July 2013. The new military-backed government launched an aggressive campaign to suppress all political opponents, hunt down leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood who fled after the coup and undo many of the gains made during the 2011 uprising that toppled then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

That is the danger many in the Arab world and in the West failed to grasp when they remained silent after Egypt’s coup: while authoritarian rule appears to provide stability over the short term, it breeds discontent and affirms the idea that the only way to achieve political power is through violence. Continue reading “Why Egypt’s crackdown on Islamists will lead to bloodshed”

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Call on progressive UMNO leaders to support the patriotic call for the scrapping of auction rights of “Patriot” number plates to Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia (YPNM)

I am pleasantly surprised that an UMNO State Assemblyman, Tengku Putra Haron Aminurrashid (Kempas – Johor) has spoken up against the ludicrous, disgraceful and most unpatriotic decision granting auction rights of “Patriot” number plates to Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia (YPNM) purportedly to promote “patriotism”.

Although the language used by the Kempas UMNO Assemblyman is rather down-to-earth, he undoubtedly expressed the feelings of the majority of Malaysians when he said that the Ministers who allowed an NGO to auction the “Patriot” vanity plates have effectively put “patriotism” on their “backside”.

Have decency, civility and good sense in Malaysia at the Cabinet level gone to the dogs that Ministers can approve such a mercenary and cheap-skate idea of auctioning “Patriot” number plates, as if those who used money to use the “Patriot” number plates are the greatest patriots in the country – even more “patriotic” than the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and ordinary Cabinet Ministers?

Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (who approved the hare-brained scheme when he was Acting Transport Minister) and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for the “Patriot” number plates auction decision and I fully agree with Tengku Putra Haron that “the application should have been shot down upon presentation”.

His question whether the Cabinet had approved the “Patriot” number plate auction scheme deserves an answer from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself. Continue reading “Call on progressive UMNO leaders to support the patriotic call for the scrapping of auction rights of “Patriot” number plates to Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia (YPNM)”

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Cabinet Ministers must individually and collectively explain when and why they had approved a further US$4.71 billion (RM17.8 billion) government guarantee for IPIC loans as latest bailout for 1MDB

1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has lost out in the public argument with DAP MP for PJ Utara, Tony Pua over whether there is a government guarantee amounting to US$4.71 billion (RM17.8 billion) to Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC) with regard to IPIC loans in the latest bailout of IMDB.

This is also the judgment of the founding editor of KiniBiz, P. Gunasegaram who, in his article “A new RM17.8 bil twist in 1MDB ‘guarantee’” on Monday, concluded:

“On all accounts, Pua is right and 1MDB is wrong – it is 1MDB which is misleading the people, not Pua.”

Gunasegaram fully agreed with Pua that IPIC’s statement to London Stock Exchange on 10th June meant that the Ministry of Finance now also assumes the obligation together with 1MDB to transfer assets totalling US$4.71 billion, which means “the MOF is effectively undertaking to fulfil the obligation, not just 1MDB”.

Even Gunasegaram asked: “Why was such an important point not disclosed?” Continue reading “Cabinet Ministers must individually and collectively explain when and why they had approved a further US$4.71 billion (RM17.8 billion) government guarantee for IPIC loans as latest bailout for 1MDB”

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ISIS-affiliated militants launch wave of assaults in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula

By Erin Cunningham and Loveday Morris
Washington Post
July 1

CAIRO — Militants linked with the Islamic State unleashed a wave of coordinated attacks on security checkpoints in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Wednesday, the latest strike in a global surge in violence by the group’s sympathizers and one that threatened to push Egypt into a wider conflict with the jihadists.

As many as 70 soldiers and civilians may have been killed in the fighting, officials and local media said. But the Egyptian army said late Wednesday that 17 soldiers and 100 militants died in the clashes. The differing death tolls could not be immediately reconciled.

Wednesday’s attacks came two days after Egypt’s top prosecutor was assassinated in a bombing in the capital, Cairo. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi on Tuesday vowed revenge for his murder, pledging to swiftly implement death sentences against militants and bring down the “heavy hand of the state” on anyone who threatens the country’s stability. Continue reading “ISIS-affiliated militants launch wave of assaults in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula”

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IKRAM Iltizam Cakna Perkembangan Politik Semasa

Ustaz Haji Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus
Timbalan Presiden
Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia
1.7.2015

Mengikuti perkembangan politik dan pembangunan semasa negara, Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM) sebagai sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang prihatin dan cakna kepada keadilan sejagat, keharmonian masyarakat dan kesatuan umat selaras dengan perjuangan IKRAM untuk memastikan ‘Malaysia Menuju Negara Rahmah’, ingin menegaskan pendirian-pendirian berikut untuk kebaikan bersama warga Malaysia:

IKRAM meyakini bahawa sistem pemerintahan berteraskan konsep dwiparti merupakan satu keperluan demi memastikan proses tatakelola kerajaan yang baik berteraskan akauntabiliti, ketelusan dan proses semak dan imbang sentiasa menepati prinsip-prinsip ‘Siyasah Syar’iyyah’ (politik berinspirasikan Syariah).

IKRAM yang bergerak atas dasar prinsip menyuruh yang makruf mencegah yang mungkar (amar makruf nahi munkar) akan terus menjadi kumpulan pendesak dan pengimbang kepada semua pihak samada daripada pihak pemerintah atau pembangkang, agensi kerajaan atau swasta terutamanya yang melibatkan organisasi yang mengendalikan amanah kepentingan awam dan yang melibatkan penyalahgunaan kuasa pentadbiran, ketirisan dalam penggunaan wang awam dan seumpamanya. Continue reading “IKRAM Iltizam Cakna Perkembangan Politik Semasa”

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‘Move towards new, progressive Islamist party’

Hafiz Yatim and Yap Jia Hee
Malaysiakini
Jul 1, 2015

INTERVIEW Following the uncertainty plaguing the future of PAS in Pakatan Rakyat, the son of a former party president hopes the PAS offshoot that is being mooted will accept Muslims and non-Muslims as members – as long as they support the Islamic cause and are allowed to vote in the new party.

Faiz Fadzil, 38, son of the late Fadzil Noor, who was PAS president from 1989 to 2002, voiced this in light of the fact that there has been no sign of any acknowledgement for the progressives in the party who were defeated in the 61st PAS Muktamar at the beginning of June.

“The new party’s struggle and policy must still be Islam and it should also be pragmatic, progressive and inclusive for all races. There is no compulsion to embrace Islam but individuals, namely non-Muslims, who see the goodness of Islam can join (the new party).

“As I have said, Islam is comprehensive religion and we should see it in the context of administration, justice, good governance and the welfare of the citizens and not merely hudud.

“As for members, it should be open to all Muslims and non-Muslims who support the Islamic struggle This is unlike the current PAS, where they only have the party supporters’ wing, which is not an open membership.

“The new party, I hope, will open its membership to non-Muslims, who should also be allowed to vote,” Faiz told Malaysiakini in an interview last week. Continue reading “‘Move towards new, progressive Islamist party’”