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Caucus public hearing becomes “closed session” – Police not prepared to be responsive

The absence of police officials and the need for the “public hearing” of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance on “Fight Rising Crime” in Petaling Jaya last night to become a “closed session” are clear proof that the Police is still not prepared to adopt a new paradigm of “policing for people” despite all talk of police “rebranding with a new vision and mission”.

Instead of thanking the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance for creating a meaningful forum for the police to hear the voices of the people about their concerns, fears, hopes and nightmares about crime and the fear of crime in various parts of the country, the police have adopted a far from appreciative attitude as illustrated by the absence of police officials at the public hearing in Petaling Jaya last night to hear out the people who are concerned about the law-and-order situation in the Klang Valley to attend and speak up at the three-hour session.

There is also no doubt that if the Police is prepared to fully respect and respond to the concerns of Malaysians about the law-and-order situation, there would have been no need for the Parliamentary Caucus public hearing to become a “closed session” with the media not allowed to report its proceedings.

The “Fight Rising Crime” public hearings of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance were never meant to be police-bashing exercises, and this was clearly understood by members of the public and the press as illustrated by the first public hearing of the caucus in Johor Baru last Sunday.

There is one common objective among those who attended the public hearing — to have a better-quality policing service to restore to Malaysians their most fundamental human right to be doubly free from crime and the fear of crime, so that citizens, tourists and investors can be safe and feel safe whether in the streets, public places or privacy of their residence.

During the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Malaysian Police in March this year, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said that the police was being “rebranded with a new vision and mission in line with the recommendations of the Royal Police Commission”.

If so, then the Police must be guided by the strategic objective which the Royal Police Commission had spelt out for the Malaysian Police — “a world class, twenty-first century organization that is efficient, clean and trustworthy, dedicated to serving the people and the nation with integrity and respect for human rights”. Continue reading “Caucus public hearing becomes “closed session” – Police not prepared to be responsive”

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Anti-corruption record in tatters – top leaders caught in maze of corruption allegations

At the monthly assembly of the staff of ministries and agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department on July 2, 2007, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made the surprise announcement of the extension of the term of service of Tan Sri Musa Hassan as Inspector-General of Police to enable Musa to “continue with his crime-fighting agenda”. Musa is to retire on Sept. 13, 2007.

Such an announcement was most unprecedented for many reasons and the circumstances indicate that it was more a statement of intent on the Prime Minister’s part than a statement of fact in that all the due process of such an extension had been completed, including conveying the decision to the Conference of Rulers which will only meet later this month.

The very fact that no one knows for how long Musa’s term as IGP had been extended although it is more than a week after Abdullah’s surprise announcement lends support to the view that the Prime Minister’s statement was one of intent rather than of fact about Musa’s extension as IGP.

The question is why was it necessary for Abdullah to act in so uncharacteristic a fashion in “jumping the gun” to rush such an announcement of his intent to extend Musa’s term as IGP when there are more than two months to go before the expiry of the tenure, and when the practice is to make the announcement of such top-level appointments or their extensions at the last minute.

There are even cases where high offices are left vacant for months like the office of Chief Judge of Malaya, which had remained vacant for more than six months, raising the question whether the country is facing a constitutional crisis in filling top judicial posts.

Was Abdullah forced to announce his intent to extend the tenure of Musa as IGP when it only expires on Sept. 16 to fob off mounting pressures against the extension of Musa’s service, and if so, what are these pressures and reasons for them?

The most critical question which calls for Abdullah’s explanation is the reason for the double standards in extending Tan Sri Musa Hassan’s tenure as Inspector-General of Police while refusing to extend Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor’s term as Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director-general when serious corruption allegations against both remained outstanding and unresolved?

Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum told Parliament during question time yesterday that “the Internal Security Ministry had lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) on the allegations of corruption involving Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan” about a RM2.1 million bribe to release a group of gangsters. Continue reading “Anti-corruption record in tatters – top leaders caught in maze of corruption allegations”

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Malaysia’s Shame

By Farish A. Noor

It seems as if there are some folk in Malaysia today who believe that the country cannot get enough bad publicity. Over the past few years the country’s religious authorities in particular have been at the forefront of the effort to show Malaysia and Islam in the worst light imaginable: A few years ago Malaysia made the international headlines when members of the religious morality-police vice squad raided a nightclub in the capital, arresting and detaining all the young Malaysians there who happened to be Muslims, while allowing their non-Muslim friends and companions to party the night away. Those arrested later complained to the media that they were harassed and abused, locked in cages and humiliated by the morality police themselves.

Then came the spate of other raids of peoples’ homes, including a rather embarrassing raid on the flat of an elderly American couple who were woken up in the middle of the night on the grounds that they were suspected of having Malaysian Muslims in their flat and presumably up to no good. The fact that the raid took place on the resort island of Langkawi further dampened Malaysia’s efforts to promote the country as a holiday paradise and second home for retiring couples from abroad.

Over the past three years the country has witnessed angry public demonstrations by conservative Muslims over the issue of freedom of religion; sparked off by the case of Lina Joy, a Malay-Muslim who had converted to Christianity only to be told that her conversion would not be recognised unless she put herself through the religious court system first, thereby incriminating herself in the process.

The latest case involves Massosai Revathi, a Malaysian citizen whose parents had converted to Islam but who was brought up by her Hindu grandmother and who had lived most of her life as a Hindu. Revathi is therefore one of the unfortunate cases of Malaysian citizens whose complex identity was bound to get her into trouble with the religious authorities in Malaysia, and it finally did. Following her marriage to her Hindu husband according to Hindu rites, they had a child who was also brought up a Hindu. Revathi was later called in by the religious authorities and told in no uncertain terms that she was legally a Muslim and had therefore committed a crime in the eyes of Islamic law and Muslim jurists: She was then sent to one of the country’s ‘Faith Rehabilitation Centres’ so that she could be ‘persuaded’ to return to Islam. Continue reading “Malaysia’s Shame”

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Paradigm shift – from “Policing for government” to “Policing for People”

Yesterday, when commenting on the series of “Fight Rising Crime” public hearings of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Najib Abd Aziz said that the public must understand that the police cannot solve crimes on their own as cases involve members of the public themselves.

He said public co-operation was sometimes disappointing with many people preferring to “look the other way”.

Najib is right when he said that policing cannot be left to the police alone but must be a multi-faceted task by all relevant agencies and involve the co-operation of all stakeholders, in particular members of the public.

True, the maintenance of law-and-order and a low-crime society is not just a police problem but requires a holistic approach involving socio-economic, educational and even religious factors and problems such as migrant population, illegal immigrants and the drug menace.

However, the police must bear the greatest responsibility for effective policing because of their specific mission.

The police must undergo a paradigm shift from “Policing for Government” to “Policing for People” and accept public perceptions as of paramount importance in the evaluation of police performance in fighting crime and the fear of crime.

The first thing the Malaysian police must do is to come out of their denial syndrome claiming that law and order is under control and take full cognizance of pubic perceptions that the crime situation in the country, particularly in many black areas of crime, have gone from bad to worse.

At the first public hearing of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance in Johor Baru on Sunday, the over-capacity crowd of over 600 people were asked three questions:

  • Whether they were satisfied with the police actions and measures which had been taken over the past month in Johor Baru as a result of the public outcry over a spate of brutal robbery-abduction-gang rape crimes;
  • Whether they agreed with the Police that the crime situation in JB had been brought under control; and
  • Whether they agreed with the Police that JB had become a safe city.

Not a hand went up for the “yes” vote for all three instances, as there was an unanimous show of hands to give a thunderous “no” to all three propositions — i.e. not satisfied with what the Police had done in JB in the past month despite stepped-up police activities, did not agree that the crime situation had been brought under control and did not agree that JB had become a safe city to the residents, visitors and investors.

The police may not like or agree with the three answers, but they must accept that it is the people in any area which must have the final say whether the crime situation is under control and has become safe – and they must go back to the drawing board to revise their policing strategy taking into account public perceptions which disagree with police conclusions. Continue reading “Paradigm shift – from “Policing for government” to “Policing for People””

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Message of PM’s “I don’t know” confession – NIP fallen to bottom of his agenda

The shocking message of the “I don’t know” confession of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ten days after serious and specific allegations have been made against a senior Umno Cabinet Minister and a 632-page memorandum submitted to him is that his national integrity plan has fallen to the bottom of his agenda.

On June 29, the Chairman of the Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption (Gerak) Ezam Mohd Nor submitted a 632-page document containing allegations of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation involving a senior cabinet minister, including police reports against the minister made by a chief executive officer of a public listed company in 1998, statements by the Malaysian Companies Commission, and receipts and invoices for millions of ringgit.

Ezam had said that there are several cases against this senior Umno Minister but one is clear, that he used a public company’s funds amounting to RM30 million to settle his personal debts.

Abdullah said yesterday: “I was informed about the memorandum and I will study it.” Asked who was the minister alleged to be corrupt, Abdullah said: “I don’t know”.

Is it credible that a Prime Minister who is serious about his pledge and commitment to make anti-corruption his top priority can allow ten days to pass without bothering to find out who was the senior UMNO Cabinet Minister alleged to be corrupt in the 632-page memorandum which had been submitted to him or that he had not directed his officers to prepare and read a gist of the allegations?

Or is Abdullah going to read the entire 632-page memorandum himself?

If Abdullah needs to take ten days to state publicly that he is aware that the memorandum had been submitted to him in his office, how long would he take to read it and how long more would he need to announce what he proposes to do about it? Continue reading “Message of PM’s “I don’t know” confession – NIP fallen to bottom of his agenda”

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“Policing for People” – police revolution needed

I was for a short stint a resident of JB, staying here for almost a year some 47 years ago.

JB has changed quite out of recognition in the past four to five decades, both for good and ill.

Firstly, I would not qualify to be a JB-ite, as there are people who now say that you are not a true JB-ite unless you have been a victim of snatch theft, robbery or other crime in JB.

Secondly, the haze from Indonesia forest fires are back, but in JB the people had been under a permanent haze in the past two decades with the JB air thick with the fear of crime which haunts the people, turning their waking hours into nightmares about their personal safety and those of their loved ones whether in the streets, public places or the privacy of their homes.

Why is the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance starting its series of public hearings on “Fight Rising Crime” in Johor Baru?

Firstly, JB is the capital of crime with the worst crime index and the worst fear of crime for any metropolitan area in the country.

The Police have said the crime in JB is under control and that it is a safe city to live. Whether crime in JB is under control and a safe city must be a verdict made by the people of Johor and not the Police — and this is the reason for the Parliamentary Caucus’ public hearing.

This is also why there should be a police revolution and not just police reform in the country where the concept of “Policing for People” becomes the overriding objective of the Malaysian Police in democratic Malaysia, with the people as the primary voice in determining the police role, responsibility and strategy in fighting and reducing crime in JB, Johore and Malaysia.

We cannot continue to be in denial any more about the high crime index and oppressive fear of crime in JB.

We should not need to cross the Causeway to Singapore to feel safe. If we are not ambitious enough to make JB even safer than Singapore, we have the right to demand that residents, visitors and investors should feel as safe in JB as in Singapore.

We have a right to demand that the definition that a person is not a true JB-ite unless he or she had been a victim of crime in JB becomes history and a nightmare of the past. Continue reading ““Policing for People” – police revolution needed”

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Let JB be national test case – whether can wipe ouf “fear of crime” before it spreads further

I remember when I stayed for a short stint in Johor Baru for about a year some 47 years ago, the Johor capital like other parts of the country was generally safe and secure from crime for its residents and visitors and the term ” fear of crime” never existed.

This was the position until some 20 years ago, when the law-and-order infrastructure and institutions failed to keep abreast with the rapid socio-economic developments and changes, and Johor Baru together with other metropolitan areas like Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Penang, increasingly acquired the notoriety as “hot spots” of crime where it residents are not only victims of high crime rate but live in fear of crime.

JB outranks all the other urban centres in the country as the capital of crime where the fear of crime haunting the daily lives of its residents is most palpable like a permanent haze in the JB air.

Let JB be a national test case whether it is possible to wipe out the fear of crime which is haunting the daily life of the people of JB or the fear of crime will worsen and spread to other parts of the country with the police losing the long-term war against crime. Continue reading “Let JB be national test case – whether can wipe ouf “fear of crime” before it spreads further”

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Old Copper Mine poses a Threat

by Gursharan Singh

The Mamut Copper Mine was leased to a company for thirty years to mine copper. The mining operations ceased in 1999 and later in 2003 it was returned back to the Sabah State Government. The reason for ceasing operations prior to the expiry of the concession period may be due to the exhaustion of copper or continued mining may not have been economically profitable. The company had then provided profits in millions that benefited the company owners.

I remember that environmentalists and other experts had regularly voiced their concerns in the past on the damage caused to the environment and its ill effects on the health of the people. I personally seen the pollution during my visit to KK and Mount Kinabalu in the mid eighties when I visited the State on audit of construction projects duties.

It is apparent that the State and Federal Government Authorities were aware of the damage being caused. However it is not possible to ascertain whether the relevant authorities monitored the operations to ensure that necessary measures were undertaken by the mining company to rectify the damage or taken any other remedial measures to prevent future environmental damage.

The possible millions in profits arising from the mining operations were enjoyed by the owners of the mine. In the process the ‘mining operations left behind a trail of pollutants that are unfriendly to nature and the health of people living at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah’.

The company has long left Sabah to enjoy their millions. It has left the cost of remedial and cleanup measures to be borne by the taxpayers. The Federal Government has allocated RM13.0m but this is probably the tip of the iceberg as the total cost may ultimately exceed the benefits derived by the State in the form of taxes and employment opportunities. Continue reading “Old Copper Mine poses a Threat”

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Is JB crime under control – or must people cross causeway to Singapore to feel safe?

Is JB crime under control - or must people cross causeway to Singapore to feel safe

The public hearing of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance in Johor Baru on Sunday at Tropical Inn at 2.30 p.m. will be an opportunity to assess whether the people of Johor Baru are satisfied with recent police actions to fight crime or whether more have to be done by the police to wipe out the high crime index and the fear of crime and end the situation where people only feel safe when they cross the causeway into Singapore.

It has been asked why the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance is holding a public hearing at the Tropical Inn in JB on Sunday on “Fight Rising Crime”, as if crime has nothing to do with human rights.

This is a great fallacy, for the fundamental right to be free from crime and to be safe and secure in the streets, public places and the privacy of the homes must rank as the first of all human rights, without which all other human rights have no meaning. The safety of its citizens must is also the acid test of effective government and good governance.

The Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance want to popularize the concept that Malaysians must be restored their two most fundamenal rights, to be free from crime and the fear of crime, which were unquestioned rights of all Malaysians in the first three decades of nationhood.

In the past 10 to 15 years, law and order have started to break down in several areas in the country to the extent that some urban centres in Peninsular Malaysia acquired the notoriety as hot spots of crime, particularly JB, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Penang and Ipoh.

This trend has not been reversed or checked despite the establishment of the Royal Police Commission and its Report and 125 recommendations to create an efficient and professional world-class police service to control and reduce crime. Continue reading “Is JB crime under control – or must people cross causeway to Singapore to feel safe?”

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Revathi released to custody of her parents, her 18-month daughter still no birth certificate

Revathi released to custody of her parents...

I have just come back from the Shah Alam High Court which dismissed the habeas corpus application for the release of Revathi A/P Masoosai/Siti Fatimah binti Abdul Karim filed by her husband Suresh A/L Veerappan on the ground that she had been released from 180-day detention at the Ulu Yam Islamic Rehabilitation Centre by the Malacca Syariah High Court yesterday.

Revathi was released to the custody of her parents by the Malacca Syariah High Court yesterday evening with the order that she could not convert out of Islam. Syariah High Court judge Radzi said Islam is not only between man and Allah but is also the responsibility between the community and country, and to come out of it is “treason”.

Is it right and proper for the Malacca Syariah High Court judge to describe as treason a conversion out of Islam?

Isn’t it ridiculous to release Revathi to the custody of her parents when she is an adult woman of 29 years with a 18-month daughter from her marriage to Suresh according to Hindu rites, with the couple stoutly defending their family despite Revathi’s 180-day detention?

What does the Syariah Court’s order of release of Revathi to the custody of her parents mean? Could she be punished and even re-detained and sent again to Ulu Yam Rehabilitation Centre on ground of breach of term of her release order?

Revathi had been detained for six months since 9th January 2007 and sent to the Ulu Yam rehabilitation centre, and her family of three forcibly separated in three different locations when the Malacca Islamic Religious Department also took their daughter Diviya Dharshini from the custody of the father and placed her in care of the grandparents on March 26, 2007.

Diviya Dharshini is now more than 18 months old and she has no birth certificate — an example of bureaucracy gone crazy. Continue reading “Revathi released to custody of her parents, her 18-month daughter still no birth certificate”

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Are our doctors properly trained?

Are our doctors properly trained?

by Tam Yeng Siang

I read the letter written by Tam Yong Yuee with interest and with a bit of concern.

As with his usual observant self, he has highlighted with a single example, how casual and nonchalant our medical profession has become, typically in Government clinics and hospitals.

It really amazes me that a Retired Primary School English Teacher (albeit a very good one), can be more circumspect in the diagnosis of our aunt, as compared to the presumptous view of the young doctor in attendance who has diagnosed her to have the Parkinsons’ disease.

Besides the absence of the ‘resting tremors’ that Yong Yee has observed, our aunt has also not suffered any speech impediment/deterioration in her years of having the trembling limbs symptom.

This is where my concern comes in. Are our young doctors serving in the thousands of clinics and hospitals adequately trained to treat our citizens properly?

If perchance they do not have the necessary experience when examining patients, do they take a moment to reflect, or even consult their references or their seniors, like what my brother did through Google?

To me, a doctor’s job begins when he finds himself stumped by a patient’s problems, and he tries to find a correct evaluation.

Have our doctors been trained to be discerning, or to just hazard a guess, like you and me. I am concerned.

(Letter by Tam Yong Yuee, published in NST 3.7.07, as follows:) Continue reading “Are our doctors properly trained?”

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Parliamentary caucus hearings – restore to Malaysians freedom from crime and fear of crime

The Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance’s first public hearing on “Fight Rising Crime” in Johor Baru at Tropical Inn on Sunday at 2.30 pm is part of a national campaign to restore to Malaysians their most important human rights in any civilized society — to be free from crime and the fear of crime.

Many Malaysians, particularly in Johor Baru, have lost these twin fundamental human rights.

In Johor Baru last night, I am reminded of Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah, where people stay at home at night in fear of their personal safety and their loved ones if they come out into the streets and public places. In fact, even in the privacy of their homes, they do not feel safe from robbers and criminals!

Is Johor Baru going the way of the Sandakan and Tawau? In fact, I have been told by some Sabahans in Johor Baru that the Johore capital has become worse than Sandakan and Tawau.

This of course can be debated, but what is undeniable is that there is a prevalent atmosphere of fear of personal safety, whether of oneself or of loved ones, whether in the streets, public places or privacy of the homes in Johor Baru which must be regarded as the worst in Peninsular Malaysia.

It is no exaggeration to describe Johor Baru as a capital of crime in Malaysia, with 70 per cent of the crime index in Johore state coming from JB.

This is one of the most intolerable aspects of the country’s development on the occasion of the nation’s 50th Merdeka anniversary, and all concerned, whether the government, police, political parties, civic bodies, non-government organsiations and Malaysians citizens must come together to end this disgraceful aspect of Malaysian life. Continue reading “Parliamentary caucus hearings – restore to Malaysians freedom from crime and fear of crime”

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Two greater maturity developments on occasion of 50th Merdeka anniversary most welcome

Two greater maturity developments on occasion of 50th Merdeka anniversary most welcome

Two developments showing greater maturity of Malaysians on occasion of 50th Merdeka anniversary is most welcome as it is time that the government and leaders move away from narrow sectarian approach towards a more nationalistic and broadminded approach on issues which should transcend race, religion, class or political differences to create greater national unity.

The two developments are:

  • The announcement by the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim that all parliamentary constituencies in the country will receive RM30,000 each for activities to celebrate the country’s 50th years of independence;
  • The directive by the Minister for Energy, Water and Communications Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Chairman Dr. Halim Shafie to withdraw his letter barring private television stations from broadcasting speeches by members of the opposition.

It will be very sad if on the nation’s half-a-century nationhood, Malaysian public life is still moored in narrow sectarian divisions on every issue including those which must transcend race, religion, class or partisan politics.

Both Rais and Keng Yaik are to be commended for showing that they are prepared to make a beginning to take a Malaysian nationalistic approach rather than narrow sectarian one, and to show that there are issues where all can come together as Malaysians. Continue reading “Two greater maturity developments on occasion of 50th Merdeka anniversary most welcome”

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“Criminals to fear police every second” – IPCMC critical test

After the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Monday announcement that the term of service of Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had been extended, Musa told Bernama: “My aim is to clean up Sarawak and Johor of criminal elements. Beginning today, I want criminals to fear the police, every second of their lives.”

Musa also said: “I am giving a stern warning to policemen who are involved in taking bribes and misuse their powers.

“I don’t want to see this particular group smearing the good name of the police”

Bernama reported that the IGP’s “strong words” were an indication that he would take the bull by its horns when dealing with the underworld, organised crime, illegal activities and corruption.
I wish Musa the best wishes in his new declared intentions on the extension of his service as IGP although he must realize and understand why they have been met with considerable skepticism and cynicism by the suffering public.

This is not the first time in the past 44 months that Musa, his predecessor former IGP Tan Sri Bakri Musa as well as the Prime Minister himself had declared war against crime and corruption which had all proved to be “just thunder but no rain”!

The most recent occasion when Abdullah declared an “all-out war” on crime was only three months ago when the Prime Minister and Internal Security Minister spoke at the special assembly at the Police Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur in early April where he announced that there would be “no compromise” in wiping out criminals — more than eight years after Abdullah was first appointed Home Minister with direct responsibility over the police and more than three years as Prime Minister. Like previous occasions, there was nothing to show for this declaration.
Will the latest declaration of “all-out war against crime” by the IGP go the way of previous such declarations — all talk and no walk? Continue reading ““Criminals to fear police every second” – IPCMC critical test”

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“Revitalise Penang” Dialogue

Revitalise Penang Dialogue

“Revitalise Penang” Dialogue Series (I)

Organised by DAP Kampong Kolam Branch

THEME: “Lets Revitalise Penang Economy”

The economy of Penang used to be the most robust and competitive in Malaysia with giants like Intel anchoring the high-technology manufacturing industry. However, today, it lies a distant 3rd in the country, after Selangor and Johor. The Pearl of the Orient has clearly lost its sparkle.

How can DAP help revitalise Penang, and make the Pearl of the Orient shine, once again?

Speaker: LIM GUAN ENG
DAP Secretary-General

TONY PUA
Economic Advisor to DAP Sec-Gen
(Graduate in Philosophy, Politics & Economics, Oxford University)

YB CHOW KON YEOW
Member of Parliament for Tanjong
DAP Penang State Chairman

Language: Mandarin / English

Date: 6.7.2007 (Friday)
Time: 8.00 p.m. (Please be punctual)
Venue: The hall of Chew Si Kee San Tong
(33, Lebuh Kimberley, Georgetown )

Contact : 04-2288482 / 2277068

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Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puchong – why from freehold to 60 yrs lease?

R has emailed her concern about the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Puchong as to why its freehold status has been changed to 60-year lease. Anyone can throw further light?

R’s email:

Even as the PM was talking overseas telling about love and peace and harmony in our multireligious country, there are many fundamentalists trying to derail his statements and prove him wrong.

I am a Catholic. I was informed that our new Church in Puchong, Our Lady of Guadalupe, suddenly faced a “crisis”. This church is in Selangor and you must remember what happened to our application for a church in Shah Alam over 20 years ago. Whether the Selangor govt or just the over-zealous local authorities are behind that problem, I don’t know. But now, it’s happening directly aimed at our church in Puchong.

This Church was actually an old chapel which was asked to relocate owing to housing development and the developers promised to give back a piece of land to rebuild a church. For many years we have been operating from temporary buildings including shifting from shophouse to shophouse. Finally a Church was built on a funny V-shaped piece of land in front of some shophouses just before an industrial area. It looked like remnant, left-over vacant land but beggars can’t be choosers?

The land in the whole area including the land over which the Church is built is freehold land. Now, suddenly out of the blue, we are told that the land on which the Church is built is alienated to a 60 years leasehold whilst the surrounding area is still freehold! Is this not discriminatory?

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Parliamentary caucus “Fight rising crime” public hearing in JB at Tropical Inn

The first “Fight Rising Crime” public hearing of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance will be held in Johor Baru on Sunday, 8th July 2007 at 2.30 p.m. at Tropical Inn, Jalan Gereja.

Please help to pass the word, by all means available, including blogs, SMS and word of mouth, to have a capacity attendance.

Let this be a people-centred, people-driven and people-empowered event.

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Pak Lah rejects 8-year press freedom memo by 1,000 journalists?

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The speech by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to the Mass Media Conference 2007 last Friday is more significant for what he omitted than what he said.

Eight years ago, when he was first appointed Home Minister, some 600 journalists in Malaysia which in the subsequent year grew to over 1,000 journalists, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on May 3 presented a memorandum to him calling for the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act and other repressive laws fettering the development of a free and responsible press.

Abdullah had given a solemn undertaking to the Malaysian journalists that he would give their memorandum serious consideration.

Eight years have passed and Abdullah has still to respond directly to the 1999 memorandum on press freedom which has the support of over 1,000 journalists.

The Mass Media Conference 2007 on Friday is most disturbing for more reasons than one. In particular, the conference was organized by the Internal Security Ministry which seems to reflect an increasingly intrusive and invasive government role in the sphere of mass media.

In his eight years first as Home Minister and later Internal Security Minister with direct responsibility over the media, the arsenal of repressive instruments and laws fettering media freedom had been left intact, whether Printing Presses and Publications Act, the Official Secrets Act, the Sedition Act, the Internal Security Act or the Police Act.

At any time, these repressive instruments and laws could be resorted to and re-activated. There has been no move whatsoever towards new legislation to create an environment which fosters greater openness, accountability and transparency like the Freedom of Information Act and Whistleblowers Protection Act. Continue reading “Pak Lah rejects 8-year press freedom memo by 1,000 journalists?”

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Samy Vellu “Champion of Indians” for RM500,000

Congrats, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, for the being bestowed “Wira Kaum India” (Champion of Indians) by Indian Progressive Front (IPF) President Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan at the IPF general assembly where the MIC President announced a RM500,000 grant towards the construction of IPF headquarters in Serdang.

It is reported that IPF still owes close to RM800,000 on the RM5 million building.

As Samy Vellu had been the sole obstacle to IPF’s long-standing application to join Barisan Nasional, will the MIC President now giving his blessing to IPF’s entry into BN following his rapprochement with Pandithan?

The Star carries an interesting account of the Pandithan-Samy Vellu feud and rapprochement – Continue reading “Samy Vellu “Champion of Indians” for RM500,000″

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Animal Farm our Parliament has become?

Azly Rahman
http://www.azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/

Bodoh. Bodoh. Bodoh. Bangang. Bengap. Bahlul. Bengap. Biol. Bebal. Binatang. Berok. Baghal. Baboon. Bocor. Booooooo! Bodoh. Bodoh. Bodoh.

These are some of the recurring B-words that have become the common nouns, adjectives, and adverb lacing our parliamentary debates. Like the chorus of clanking machines in W.S. Rendra’s play “Perjuangan Suku Naga”

It’s like Bronx gangsta rappers trying to rhyme the vulgar “B____” and “N_____” words to sell their albums and their degenerative ideology.

Don’t we have any shame being representatives of the people who are supposed to not waste time spewing vulgarities and linguistic diarrhea in a house that is supposed to urgently and efficiently solve the problems of the poor, needy, the marginalized, and the dispossessed?

How much time gets wasted in parliamentary debates that thrive on cajouling and the hurling of abuses? Why do we still have rude, vulgar, and diplomatically incompetent “elected representatives” still sitting in those debates, representing the rakyat?

Is this the picture of progressive thinking we have developed as a political culture — 50 years after Merdeka?

Shame. Shame. Shame! Continue reading “Animal Farm our Parliament has become?”