UMNO has lost the plot on a story called "Malaysia"

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Youth will demand an apology from Bukit Bendera UMNO chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail over a racist statement he supposedly uttered when campaigning for the Permatang Pauh by-election. [The Star, 27/8/2008]

Chinese groups led by MCA Youth today slammed UMNO division chief Ahmad Ismail for allegedly making racist remarks against the minority community during the recent Permatang Pauh by-election campaign. [Malaysiakini, 28/8/2008]

There was no mention by the mainstream media of what was exactly uttered by Ahmad Ismail. However according to Kwong Wah e-Newspaper and Malaysiakini, it was alleged that the Bukit Bendera UMNO chief said, "Orang Cina hanya tumpang di sini (The Chinese here are squatters)" in a BN campaign speech at Permatang Pauh.

Malaysians can only ask why wasn't the Sedition Act activated this time and charge Ahmad Ismail for his reckless and racist statements.

Ahmad Ismail was later challenged by former Deputy Home Affairs Minister Tan Chai Ho,

“Some people are very extreme and narrow minded. Instead of forging stronger relationships, they are splitting unity. I hope this is the last time we hear such things,” he responded in retaliation to Ahmad's Ismail's comments. [Malaysiakini, 28/8/08]

However, claims of UMNO being a racially-motivated fascist party was rejected by the party Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak (below):

"We have not been racist. Umno has never been a racist party and it will forever not be a racist party. UMNO is a party that stands for all Malaysians." [The Edge Daily, 16/8/2008]

and

"If you go to other places in the region, the Chinese had to change their names and couldn't go to Chinese schools. But here, we let everyone practise their culture. The name Lee Chong Wei is still Lee Chong Wei. This is BN's policy until today," he addressed a 700-strong Chinese audience at the ceremony to hand over a cheque for RM300,000 to the Beijing Olympics silver medalist. [Pemuda UMNO, 21/8/08]

Here are two things worth considering:

1. If UMNO is a party that stands for all Malaysians, then shouldn't it be called United Malaysians National Organisation?
2. Najib was clearly using Lee Chong Wei as his political tool to spread the BN ideology at an award ceremony which had nothing to do at all with politics .

So Datuk Seri, is this how your UMNO stands up for the other races?

___________________________________

Unfortunately, it was the Indian community that felt the sharpest pain of racial polarization and discrimination practiced by the government. In response to many years of marginalization, a group called HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) held a rally on 25 November 2007 to make their voices heard. They claimed that their community had been "pushed aside" by the government for far too long and their basic constitutional rights had been denied. This also came in the wake of mass Hindu temple demolitions carried out by the government - some of which were over a hundred years old. In reply, the UMNO-led government had a total of 240 people detained along with several of their leaders under the ISA (Internal Security Act). Apparently, HINDRAF had links to terrorist groups outside of Malaysia and were planning to "attack".

"Of late there have been indications that Hindraf is trying to seek support and help from terrorist groups. The police are concerned over Hindraf's activities and will not hesitate to take harsh action to guarantee the nation's peace and security." said Tan Sri Musa Hassan, the Inspector-General of Police. [Taipei Times, 8/12/07]

However, when asked for evidences for such allegations, the police could not produce any.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi have since called the actions of ethnic Indians involved in the demonstrations as "treachery" and warned the rest of the community to stay away from HINDRAF. [Express India, 14/12/2007]
___________________________________

On 28 June 2008, UMNO's narrow mindedness was again evident when one of their elected Perak state exco assemblywoman, Hamidah Osman insulted the Indian community of this country by making racist statements in the legislative hall. Again, the mainstream media did not reveal the details on the incident but as Malaysiakini reported, she made the offensive statement that "when you meet an Indian man and a snake, you hit the Indian man first." She was bombarded with protests from angry Opposition exco members who demanded that she retract her racist statements. She refused to back down and continued to press on with her innocence. Hamidah Osman was then eventually "ordered" by top UMNO leaders to apologise to the Indian community. [Malaysiakini, 28/6/08]
___________________________________

Racial sentiments were also stirred up at the UMNO General Assembly 2007 when Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein who is also Youth Chief wielded a keris and kissed it, which was interpreted as a gesture of Malay supremacy. In his speech he said with great passion,

"I am giving a warning to all MCA leaders to stop questioning the fact that Malaysia is an Islamic State. I am adamant that I am not a naive leader that allows such things to go on. My warning is this: Stop!" [Berita Harian, 21/7/07]

He was not the only one to make such statements. The following were what the other leaders and members said in their respective speeches:

"UMNO is willing risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion"
- Malacca delegate Hasnoor Sidang Hussein.

"...when tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins."
-Umno Youth exco member Azimi Daim.

"The rights of the Malays should never be challenged. If so, the Malay people will take to the streets and we will see a repeat of the May 13 tragedy. It will be far worse than it was in 1969 and we will make Kuala Lumpur a charred field."
- Information Chief of Umno Youth Razak Idris

__________________________________

On 6 August 2007, the government again reminded Malaysians that UMNO is not a racist party. And this time it was UMNO Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaludin who reassured the public,

"I don’t understand how the accusation come about – calling us racist. In fact, Umno always emphasises on the power-sharing concept and history has proven it." [The Star, 6/8/2007]

__________________________________

After major defeats at the March 8 Elections and recently at Permatang Pauh, it is clear that UMNO had failed to learn their lesson and therefore must abandon their racist policies if they really want to save their sinking ship. Our leaders must also realise and accept the reality that Malaysia is not only for the Malays but also for the Chinese, Indians and the other races that make up population.

To conclude and in the spirit of Merdeka, here is a quote from Tun Dr. Ismail, an influential UMNO politician of the 1960's:

"Why did we fight for Merdeka? So that the different races can be divided? That can’t be the way, right?… Something is wrong… Why are we building Malaysia? What Malaysia are we building? What kind of symbol is Malaysia supposed to be?"

Happy 51st Merdeka Day, my fellow Malaysians.

Share on Facebook
Click here to read more...

Apparently, this post is a threat to national security

In a rare move, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered all internet service providers (ISPs) to block controversial online portal Malaysia Today [Malaysiakini, 27/8/08]

The government is finally taking on the internet community and bloggers of the country with the latest lock down on Raja Petra Kamarudin's site, Malaysia Today. The independent news site was deemed "a threat to national security" because it contained "seditious" and "defamatory" elements in its posts. Raja Petra became the enemy of the state when he adamantly accused the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor of being involved in the murder of a Mongolian woman. The news came in on August 27 when all 21 ISPs (Internet Service Provider) of the nation blocked Malaysia Today.

The Star, a national daily reported that the ISPs were acting under the orders of the MCMC based on Section 263 of the Communications and Multimedia Act. Action may also be taken against such web sites for the offences under the Sedition Act and on the grounds of defamation.

The government's decision to put a stop to all "seditious" blogging came during a high-level meeting between top government officials and civil servants as reported by The Malaysian Insider on August 28. An understanding was reached that if nothing was done now to censor the internet, the ruling government will imminently face defeat in the next general election, presumably on 2013. Their argument was that there will be 2 million new voters who would all be in their 20's by then and their primary source of information would be the internet, not the mainstream media which the government has control on.

So, is the censorship of the internet legal under the law? Here is an excerpt of the Communications and Multimedia Act:

"Nothing in this Act shall be construed as permitting the censorship of the Internet." [Section 3(3)]

The same is repeated in No. 7 of the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees which states that the Malaysian Government promises to ensure the internet is free from censorship.

Supporters of the government said that it was done according to the provisions in the Sedition Act. However, their shortsightedness was highlighted by their ignorance of Section 271 of the Communications and Multimedia Act which states that:

"If there is any inconsistency or conflict between this Act and any other relevant written law, the provisions of this Act shall prevail to the extent of the inconsistency or conflict."

If this is so, shouldn't the Communications and Multimedia Act overrule the Sedition Act when websites are involved?

According to the Sedition Act, "sedition" is defined as:

"...to bring hatred and or contempt or to excite disaffection against and Ruler (Head of States) or against any Government." [Section 3 (1a)]

"...to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or of the Ruler of any State or amongst the inhabitants or Malaysia or of any State." [Section 3 (1d)]

and

"...to promote feelings of ill will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia." [Section 3 (1e)]

Yet, it was clear that the government and its ardent supporters were practising "selective reading" of this Act and had overlooked this portion of the very same law that they are manipulating:

"...an act, speech, words, publication or other thing shall not be deemed to be seditious by reason only that it has a tendency to point out errors or defects in any Government or constitution as by law established (except in respect of any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignity or prerogative referred to in paragraph (1)(f) otherwise than in relation to the implementation of any provision relating thereto) or in legislation or in the administration of justice with a view to the remedying of the errors or defects." [Section 2 (b)]

In other words, one cannot be charged under the Sedition Act if he/she points out any errors and defects within any governmental institution or law. Even if the closure of Malaysia Today was based on the argument of "defamation", why was Raja Petra the only target when clearly there are thousands of sites out there defaming almost everything under the sun - from hawker stalls to President Bush. Therefore, the ban on Malaysia Today is not only unlawful but it is also double speak.

With this sudden active enforcement of the law, why not also charge certain individuals and MPs under the Sedition Act or Communications and Multimedia Act for making racist statements and false accusations? Here's a few:

1. Former MP of Jerai, Badruddin bin Amiruldin strongly argued that Malaysia is an Islamic state since its formation and for those who did not like that idea, can leave the country ( He was referring to the non-Muslims who are non-Malays by majority). Opposition MPs called this statement racist and unconstitutional as Malaysia is in fact a secular state. You may watch the video here.
2. During the recent Bar Council forum on the matters of religious conversion, a group of 300 hurled derogatory chants like "Babi Balik China! (Pigs, go back to China!)" and "Babi! (Pigs!)." [Malaysiakini, 9/8/08]
3. Rembau MP, Khairy Jamaluddin made accusations in his blog post that Anwar Ibrahim had solicited funds from the United States to finance his campaign in Permatang Pauh. Apparently, Anwar is going to return the favour by signing a Free Trade Agreement with the US if he succeeds in becoming the Prime Minister. He also claimed that Anwar will allow the construction of a US Navy Base in Sabah. However, Khairy did not provide any pinch of evidence to support his allegations and he came to such conclusions simply by "observation".

If "sedition" is to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or of the Ruler of any State or amongst the inhabitants or Malaysia or of any State [Section 3 (1d)], then the government need to explain why no charges were brought against these men.

• Are not non-Muslims subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong also? (in reference to Badruddin's statements)
• Did the racists chants made by those men not promote the feelings of ill will among the Chinese community in this country?
  
• How are Opposition supporters different to BN Supporters in terms of citizenship? Baseless accusations against Anwar have the same "tendency" to raise discontentment among his supporters who are also subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Both sides of the Dewan Rakyat can argue endlessly over the closure of Malaysia Today and future censorship of the internet. But before Malaysians decide on whose side they want to be on, consider the following:

"...every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression." [Article 10 (1a) of the Federal Constitution]

Every Malaysian must be reminded that the Federal Constitution is and will always be the highest authority of the land.

Though the government reserves the right to suppress the freedom of speech on the grounds of national security as provisioned in Article 10(2) of the Constitution, only time will tell how far will the government go in order to maintain their fragile interpretation of "national security".



For further reading:

1. Federal Constitution of Malaysia
2. Act 15: Sedition Act 1948
3. Act 588: Communications and Multimedia Act 1998
4. Cyberspace crackdown begins - The Malaysian Insider
   

Share on Facebook
Click here to read more...

The DNA Bill - Episode 2

The DNA Bill which was tabled on August 18 for the first reading was seen as a desperate act by the government to force Anwar Ibrahim to surrender his DNA [Read DNA expires...or so we were told]. If that was seen as an act of manipulating the law of this country to serve a personal political agenda, the latest move by the government on August 26 is a clear-cut direct abuse of power.

The DNA Bill was scheduled to be tabled for a second reading in the 11th Parliament session and after the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board Bill. However, the government had decided to bring forward the reading of the DNA Bill thus speeding up its process of it being passed as a law. On top of that, the bill had not been given enough time to be reviewed by experts in the relevant field or by any ethics committee. Opposition MPs in the Dewan Rakyat unanimously protested against the government's latest move citing it had sinister motives. This latest tussle between the two sides of the fence happened on the same day when the Permatang Pauh by-election which eventually Anwar won was taking place . Coincidence?

PAS MP from Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub (right) stated that the Universities and Universities Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2008 was presented during the previous Parliamentary session. Therefore, the Opposition MPs were busy preparing their debate points on the bill and had not expected the DNA Bill to be tabled so soon. [The Star, 27/8/08]

However, deputy House Speaker Ronald Kiandee brushed off the Opposition's claims saying that the government had the right to give priority to any bill it felt more important. He also stated that the government did not need to 'give any reasons' to do so.

What was so important that the government had to bring the second reading of the DNA Bill forward? Apparently, it was Home Minister Datuk Syed Hamid Albar's health.

"The Bill was supposed to be tabled after the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board Bill, but I was unwell so I asked for it to be moved down the order paper and be tabled later," Home Minister Datuk Syed Hamid Albar (left) told reporters at the Parliament lobby. [The Malaysian Insider, 26/8/08]

However, the quote above from the Home Minister was omitted from national newspapers like The Star and New Straits Times.

Ronald Kiandee and Syed Hamid had contradicted each other without realising it. On one hand, the deputy House Speaker said the government felt that the DNA Bill was more important than the Tobacco Bill. And on the other, Syed Hamid said he requested the DNA bill to be tabled earlier because he was feeling unwell. So who decided to push the DNA Bill ahead of its schedule; the government or Syed Hamid Albar?

Also, shouldn't the Home Minister postpone the reading rather than bringing it forward if he was truly feeling unwell?

Syed Hamid also claimed that the reading of the DNA Bill had actually been delayed as the government wanted to accommodate the rapid changes in the forensic field into the bill. [E-Media News, 27/8/08]

Gee, I wonder what they were? Perhaps, scientists had finally discovered that DNA actually expires and somehow decided to share this "breakthrough" only with the Malaysian government.

Although there were much protests against the bill, the Opposition continues to state that they had nothing against the bill but only the timing and the apparent urgency surrounding it. Likewise, lawyers from the Human Rights Committee of the Bar Council called for the bill to be withdrawn from the Dewan Rakyat until proper public consultations and reports have been gathered from experts such as chemists, criminologists and lawyers.

With Anwar declaring victory at Permatang Pauh, it is likely that this is the government's last audacious attempt to get Anwar behind bars and ultimately stop the Opposition from taking over the federal government on Sept 16.

Share on Facebook
Click here to read more...

Permatang Pauh - Another nail to BN's coffin?

Anwar Ibrahim (left) seized a momentous victory in the Permatang Pauh by-election, further solidifying the Oppostion's move to take over the federal government by Sept 16. Prior to that, his wife Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail held the seat for two terms and had recently resigned to make way for her husband's return to active politics. On the March 8 elections, she acquired a 13,388 vote-majority to ensure Permatang Pauh remains a constituency for the Opposition. However, this time around Anwar managed to wrestle in a whopping 15,671 vote-majority over the Barisan Nasional candidate, Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah. That's 2,283 more votes than his wife had.

The choice of Arif Shah (right) as the man to challenge Anwar in the by-election is somewhat not of a surprise. The assemblyman from Seberang Jaya actually speaks fluent Mandarin. This was seen as a desperate act for Barisan Nasional to woo more Chinese voters as the March 8 elections proved that UMNO no longer had the majority support of the Malay community in that area.

If appointing a Mandarin-speaking candidate wasn't enough to ensure more Chinese support, the Federal Government also gave RM1.2 million to six Chinese primary schools. You would think they might as well send a Chinese deputy minister to officiate that, right? Yes. That was exactly what they did.

BUTTERWORTH: The Federal Government yesterday gave RM1.2 million to six Chinese primary schools here to repair classrooms and halls. Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong (left) said each school would receive RM200,000. [NST, 20/8/2008]

The New Straits Times also reported of heavier campaigning by Barisan Nasional into Chinese-majority areas of Permatang Pauh. Their plan obviously did not work.

The defeat of Barisan Nasional here is one painful pill to swallow for the party's top brass. The leaders have earlier expressed their confidence in Barisan Nasional's (BN) odds of winning the support of the people.

"When we first started to campaign, people said the BN did not stand any chance of a victory. However, after two weeks of effort, pleading and praying, the support has tilted our way," Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (right) said. [NST, 26/8/2008]

Najib would now have to eat his words or fire whoever that had misinformed him of support being tilted to BN's way.

Anwar's victory may just take the Opposition one step closer to overthrowing the federal government by Sept 16. The charismatic 61 year-old is seen as the next Prime Minister by many Malaysians who believe that a change of government is what Malaysia needs.

Nevertheless, Permatang Pauh is definitely another nail to Barisan Nasional's coffin.

Share on Facebook
Click here to read more...

Freedom of Worship. Really?

"Visit Malaysia" commercials are the worst form of lie that this government can tell to tourists. Apart from the scenes of our flora and fauna, cinematic shots of different places of worship in those advertisements were intended to convince the world and Malaysians alike that Malaysia practices religious freedom. Is that entirely true? Do Malaysians really have the total freedom to practice any religion apart from Islam?

It's true that non-Muslim Malaysians can to go to their churches, temples and gurdwaras without any fear of arrests. Although Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country but that does not mean it is an Islamic country despite certain groups that believe the contrary. They had either fail or perhaps refuse to understand Article 3 of the Federal Constitution.

We may not see any outward persecution or oppression of non-Islamic religions in this country. However, it would be naive to deny that there isn't any oppression at all by the pro-Islamic government. Please note that there is no such thing as 'restricted freedom'. A bird in a cage is free to move around but only within the confines of the cage. Is the bird free? No.

How is the freedom of worship in Malaysia restricted then? Well, many Malaysians may not know about this but the Ministry of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia have specific guidelines for the construction of non-Muslim houses of worship. They were compiled during the 12th meeting of the National Fatwa Council for Islamic Affairs in 1985. The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism (MCCBCHS) have since protested against the guidelines which they deemed restrictive and oppressive towards the non-Islamic religions of this country. You may read the ministry's guidelines for yourself here and the MCCBCHS's proposed alternative guidelines here.
The summary is as listed below:

1. Non-Muslims can only build a place of worship on the land which they own, provided the site is not in an area where the majority of the population are Muslims.
2. The authorities have the power to evict any non-Muslim house of worship which was built without the approval of the government.
3. Non-Muslim and Muslim places of worship must not be in close proximity (less than 1km).
4. There are size and height limits to the design of a non-Muslim house of worship.
   
5. A non-Muslim house of worship that is being built must not resemble a Muslim house of worship. (For your information, a Sikh gurdwara have similar architectural elements to a mosque)
6. Construction of all non-Muslim place of worship is subject to the approval of the State Islamic Council.

Article 11(3b) of the Federal Constitution states that:

"Every religious group has the right to establish and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes."

If that is so, why do non-Muslims need to get the approval of the State Islamic Council to establish a house of worship of their own?

The Federal Constitution guarantees that all religions have the right to be practiced in peace and harmony. The word 'peace' here would mean 'without any interference'. This is one thing the Malaysian government must understand.

To conclude, non-Islamic religions in this country must not be restricted in any manner or by any guidelines if the government wants to preach to the world that there is freedom of worship in Malaysia. Otherwise, the Malaysian government is guilty of not only practicing double standards but also lying to millions of tourists.

Share on Facebook
Click here to read more...

The Royal Malaysian Police - Quantity or Quality?

The statistics (source) released by the Royal Malaysian Police revealed that on June 2008, the total crime index stands at a shocking 106,753. That's about an average of 586 criminal cases a day. Malaysians can only speculate what lies ahead for them in the following months to come. Just when things couldn't get any worse, the success rate of solving cases plunged from 46.5% in 2004 to a low 39.3% last year. If this was an examination, the police would have gotten an "F" from the start. The government continues to pledge to expand the police force which currently stands at about 93,000 strong in the next few years. But the question is: Can the crime levels be brought down by merely increasing the number of police officers? Perhaps in retrospect, the issue of 'quality' over weighs the 'quantity' in certain areas of the Royal Malaysian Police in its quest to lower crime levels.


On March 4, 2008 Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (below) promised to ensure steps will be taken by the government and the police to address the increasing crime rate problem.

" We are adding 60,000 more police personnel by 2011 and we will set up more than 150 new police stations and beat bases. We will expand the police presence in neighbourhoods, improve safety in school, playgrounds and public areas, and enhance community policing through partnerships with non-governmental organizations, the private sector and local communities."
[Reuters, 4/3/2008]

There is no disagreement on the fact that our police force have long been under-staffed. It would be too much to ask 93,000 officers to protect and guard the entire Malaysian population of 27.5 million. However, there is also no guarantee that even a police contingent of 200,000 can effectively carry out their duty and reduce the crime levels. The Royal Malaysian Police have a lot to do to repair the damaged reputation of their organisation. The following news headlines certainly did not do much good for the image of the force.

JOHOR BARU: Some RM1 million worth of syabu, believed to be from the biggest drug bust of the year, has been reported missing from the state police headquarters. It is learnt that the thieves, alleged to be policemen, had used acid to melt the padlock. [NST, 5/8/2008]

KUALA LUMPUR: A student is suing a constable for allegedly raping and forcing her to perform oral sex in a police station on June 18. The 17-year-old girl is also suing the Government for alleged negligence in ensuring her safety in the station. [The Star, 23/8/2008]

How are the crime levels ought to be brought under control when the supposed crime fighters are committing crimes themselves? Who does the public turn to now for protection? Even the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan (left) was once investigated for corruption. But the case was ordered to be closed by a higher authority because of the lack of evidence (source). From its leaders to police equipments, this is the meaning of the "quality" that the government desperately needs to review. The government must therefore do more than just organizing a massive recruitment drive for the police if they really want to effectively reduce the crime levels of this country. It must not worsen for the Malaysian public deserves to walk freely on the streets and be safe in their own homes, schools and workplaces!

However, the Royal Malaysian Police were pretty efficient of late when it came to sodomy investigations, DNA demanding and raiding homes of prominent bloggers. They seemed more interested in arresting political activists than the rapists, robbers and murderers who according to statistics risk the lives of Malaysians 586 times a day. So who's to say that the police cannot be efficient. They just have to get their priorities right...and their pockets clean.



Share on Facebook
Click here to read more...

UPDATE - Avril's concert gets green light

The Star [23 August 2008] announced that Avril Lavigne's concert is back on track and the artiste will be able to perform in Kuala Lumpur on August 29th. As on August 20th, it was reported that the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage have decided to cancel Avril Lavigne's concert as they did not want the independence month and the upcoming Ramadhan to be filled with "punk and rock culture". Meanwhile, PAS Youth Leader Kamaruzaman Mohamed also claimed that the Canadian artiste is "too sexy" for Malaysians [Pop and Rock Culture? - 21/8/2008]. Such statements caused quite a stir internationally and have indeed tarnished the country's image as a tolerant multi-cultural nation

The Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage have then decided to review their decision to cancel the show. It is encouraging to see that the ministry have taken account of the fact that Malaysia is a multi-religious society and did not simply act on the grounds of religion. Their latest move is highly commendable.

However, artistes who wish to perform in Malaysia have a strict behaviour code to adhere to. The Malaysian government require that the stage costumes should cover from chest to knees and that they should not include any drug-related image. Acts of shouting, kissing, hugging and jumping are also banned from the stage.

One might argue that such guidelines are conservative. Nevertheless, the bigger picture here is that such move by the Ministry is worth two thumbs up. The Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage has finally acted as a ministry for all Malaysians and not for just a few. Congratulations!

Share on Facebook
Click here to read more...

DNA expires...or so we were told

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 18, 2008): The government tabled the long awaited Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Identification Bill 2008 at the Dewan Rakyat for its first reading today. [The Sun]

The DNA Bill. What is that you may ask? It is a shame to see that not many Malaysians know about this new law that is going to be passed by the Dewan Rakyat. That's not a surprise since the front pages of mainstream newspapers these days are flooded with by-election topics or corruption scandals. Well, this has been going on right under our noses as the rulling government is going all out to get this bill passed in Parliament.

Here's a little insight to this law-to-be: The DNA Bill, when passed, will give the police the power to demand DNA samples from crime suspects in an investigation. This is because the current law does not allow the police to acquire such samples from suspects by force. However, the issue here is not the bill itself but the timing of it. Why now? Why propose such a bill at the same time when a certain former Deputy Prime Minister refused to provide his DNA samples in the wake of sodomy allegations. Nothing is coincidental in politics-a thought worth noting.

However, such political motive was refuted by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (right) as he stated, "It is not politically motivated and has nothing to do with Anwar (Ibrahim). The government has been working on this bill since 2001. It is ridiculous to attribute it to political motives." [NST, 19/8/2008]

How disturbing it is to know that it took 7 years for the Home Ministry to table an important bill such as the DNA Bill for a first reading (on 18/8/2008).

To be honest, the DNA Bill is not entirely a bad thing. There are far too many unsolved cases in the past few years that the police need to get it off their chest. But it is also quite clear that the ruling coalition is using all means, even by exploiting the Dewan Rakyat to bring down one man, Anwar Ibrahim. Syed Hamid Albar however contradicted that notion, saying, "I don't think they (the opposition) should attribute a sinister motive to it. If there is a case in court and you are not guilty, why should you worry about this bill?"

Anwar Ibrahim (left) refused to give his DNA samples to the police to assist in the investigation which Saiful Bahri accused the former for sodomizing him. If the DNA Bill is passed, Anwar will have no other choice but to give a sample to the authorities. Doesn't this DNA Bill sound more like it was taylor-made to serve an ulterior motive?

It is easy to just call for Anwar to surrender his DNA and make everyone happy. However it is not as simple as that. Anwar believes that by giving the authorities new body tissue, there is a possibility that 'evidences' could be planted and be used against him in court. That fear is justified simply because there is no need for a 'new' DNA sample as the police already had one back in 1998 (when Anwar was also charged for sodomy). Our dear Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made this statement:

“The DNA sample the authorities have is too old so they need a new sample. What is wrong with that?" [The Star, 19/7/2008]

That line sounded like a slapstick joke from a stand up comedian. Who ever said that DNA has an expiry date? For your information Mr. Prime Minister, DNA is not a brand of frozen fishballs.

Abdullah Badawi also seemed oblivious to the existence of thousand year-old mummies found in Egypt where their DNA can still be extracted by scientists today. Anwar Ibrahim, on the other hand is only 61.

Since the police now have Anwar's DNA from 1998, why are they still asking for another DNA sample? All they need to do is check for any body tissue found up in Saiful's anus and cross-reference it's DNA signature which a report such as these (below). Anwar's DNA would have already been decoded in such a manner in 1998.

It will be interesting to see whether there will be fewer unsolved crimes for the police in the future when the DNA Bill is finally passed. The government continues to reiterate that now is the 'right' time for introducing such a revolutionary bill to fight crime when all these years, the sins done on Nurin Jazlin, Sharlinie and other victims have yet to be atoned for.



For further reading:

1. CNN.com - Experts to use DNA testing on Egyptian mummy
   
2. HowStuffWorks - How DNA Evidence works?
   
3. ThinkQuest - Forensic DNA
   
4. Wikipedia.org - Genetic Fingerprinting
   

Share on Facebook
Click here to read more...

Pop and Rock Culture?

The media recently reported that Avril Lavigne's much anticipated concert scheduled on August 29th in Stadium Merdeka was to be cancelled on the grounds that she was "too sexy".

Now how on earth is this too sexy?

Many Malaysians felt that there is a slow but steady Islamisation of Malaysia in recent decades. Whether you agree or not, that depends on which side of the fence you are on. Mind you that Article 3 of the Federal Constitution states that Islam is the official religion of the federation. No mention of Malaysia being an Islamic State was ever found. It is also helpful to know that if we were an Islamic country, non-Muslims would have to pay the Jizya (special tax imposed on non-Muslims) to the government. Are non-Muslims in Malaysia paying the Jizya? Apparently not and therefore we cannot be called an Islamic nation.

Now, the whole debate on whether Malaysia is an Islamic nation or not can go on endlessly and I would have to leave that for another time perhaps. However it is worrisome to note that there are certain quarters of society who are imposing their values on others-many of whom may not share the same set of values.

The Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage, Shafie Apdal was quoted saying, "There are a lot of events on Aug 29 and the Ministry does not want the independence and the near Ramadan month to be filled with such pop and rock culture." [The Star, 20/8/08] A similar view was echoed by Federal Territory PAS Youth chief Kamaruzaman Mohamed.

This just raised an important question: Are all Malaysians fasting during the Ramadhan?
Shafie Apdal may have failed to see this but is he blind to realize that we are living in a multi-racial and religious country? It would be understandable if the authorities on the religion of Islam felt that the concert was not suitable for Muslims and bar them from taking part in it. But why deprive the other Malaysians who were eager to see their favourite singer on stage? Why not just make the concert for non-Muslims only?

Shafie Apdal had also contradicted himself when he said, "...the Ministry does not want the independence month to be filled with such pop and rock culture." For the past few years, the government organized massive Merdeka concerts for the masses. Local artistes like Search, Mawi, Pop Shuvit, Daniel and Ruffedge performed on stage in front of thousands of Malaysians. With that fact, I would like Shafie Apdal to explain how these pop and rock artistes differ from artistes like Avril Lavigne.

Perhaps in the future, female singers would have to dress like this on stage. But who knows, Shafie Apdal might say this is not environmentally friendly.

Share on Facebook


Click here to read more...

A mansion

Suppose there were 4 friends; Ali, Chong, Guna and Joe. They decided to settle down and have a home where they can each raise a family. But then they realized that they could not have 4 houses for every man because Ali had nothing but a piece of land, only Chong had the money and only Guna knew how to design a house. Plus, Joe was the only person who knew how to lay bricks.
Without much deliberation Ali, Chong, Guna and Joe decided that they would build a massive mansion and live together. Ali was to provide the land for the building, Chong was to take care of the finances, Guna was to be in charge of designing while Joe volunteered to provide manual labour.
Many months past and much to their excitement, the mansion was completed. And of course, they moved in and each man occupied an equally sized room big enough to raise a family. Ali, Chong, Guna and Joe were proud of their achievement and looked forward to many years as house mates.

Then came a time when Ali, Chong, Guna and Joe grew old and died, leaving behind their children to inherit the mansion. Unfortunately, dissent started to take root amongst the children of the 4 men.
Ali's children thought to themselves,"Our father owned the land this mansion is sitting on. Therefore we own this mansion!" Hence, they plotted to drive the rest of the occupants out of the mansion.
Chong's children then said, "Our father provided the money for the construction of this mansion. Without the finances, this would just be a wasteland. Hence, we own this land!". So, they too harboured the intention to be the sole owners of the mansion.
Guna's children also exclaimed, "Our father was the only one with the knowledge of construction. Without him, there would not be a roof over your heads. This mansion is ours!". They too wanted the mansion for themselves.
Joe's children then responded, "Our father built this mansion with his hands and sweat. Without him, there would be no mansion today. We own this building, not you people!".
All these bickering did not stop for next few years. It became so bad that the children of the 4 men refused to speak with one another. As a result, they only stayed in their respective rooms.

One day, a fire broke out in the living room and thick smoke engulfed the entire house. Ali's children said to themselves, "The fire is in the living room and not in ours. Let the others extinguish the fire!"
Chong's children then replied, "The fire is not our problem. It is closer to your rooms. You guys handle it. We shall stay in here." They could not care less for the impending inferno ready to consume the mansion.
Guna's children in response, hollered, "It's just a small fire. There's nothing to worry about!". So they went back to what they were doing.
Joe's children then shouted back, "Our room is the farthest away from the fire. It will not reach us. So it's your responsibility, not ours!"

The fire then consumed the mansion and everyone in it.

Fellow Malaysians, we are going to celebrate 51 years of Merdeka soon enough. Are we just going to save our little 'rooms' but let the whole mansion burn to ashes?

Share on Facebook


Click here to read more...