Ministry To 'Carefully' Study Historical Facts For Textbooks To 'Instill Patriotism'

The Education Ministry will carefully study the facts and information to be entered into history textbooks to instill patriotism among the young generation.

Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the step was among the ministry's efforts to change the education curriculum at the primary school level by having history as a special subject by 2010.

"What is important is noble values like patriotism, loving the country, comprehending the sacrifice of national heroes and understanding that the present state of the country did not come about just by being still but through blood and sweat.

"We must not be satisfied by our present position what with a world that is now smaller. Such efforts must be continued and intensified through how we stress our history to our children while they are still in school," Hishammuddin told reporters .

Earlier, in his speech, said Hishammuddin said the book could be a reference for students and also parliamentarians to further understand the processes and events that shaped Malaysian history.

He said the book could also bring about greater appreciation of independence leading to love, loyalty and patriotism in defending the country's sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, his speech reminded people not to forget the country's history while the country progressed.

"To learn the future, look at the past. I believe in that English phrase," he said. (The Star)

***** Oh dear! I've a strange feeling that this so-called effort to 'carefully' study the facts and bring 'changes' to the education curriculum will be the harbinger of more distortions and untruths to further cement the place of Umno in our 'unique' interpretation of history, while adding the present crop of our 'pemimpin' to the list of our nation's warriors who have 'sacrificed' everything in the 'struggle' for Merdeka and the nation's subsequent progress. When the word 'patriotism' is carelessly thrown around, one may lose sight of the fact that Umno's definition of patriotism usually refers to our unreserved loyalty to the party and its 'yeoman' service to the nation.

As with previous attempts to tinker with our history, the current effort too will involve the selection of a group of ultra-nationalist wingnuts who will give a highly slanted version which will further trivialize the contribution of the non-Malays while downplaying the substantial influence of China and India on the tradition, culture, language and heritage of the Malays. (Perhaps the bit about Proto Malays and their origins from Yunnan Province could be quietly edited out?) You can also expect the highlighting of unsubstantiated and unproved 'age old' connections with the Middle East. I wouldn't be surprised if there are claims of general ancestral blood ties which may just stop short of calling ourselves Arabs.

Perhaps I'm being overly cynical, but given our past attempts in rewriting history to fit Umno's grand designs, can you blame me?
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Make History Lessons More Interesting, Urges Malaysian Historical Society. Also Keep It Truthful

Educationists should fully utilise modern facilities to make history lessons more interesting and able to capture the students' imagination, newly-appointed Malaysian Historical Society fellow Tan Sri Dol Ramli said, Saturday.

He said that during his university days, one of his professors was able to turn history into such an interesting topic that none of his classmates ever missed a single lesson.

"How history is presented is important. The education department, teachers, professors and lecturers should conduct history lessons in an interesting way.

"My professors could do it during my school days and they did not have many audio-video aids then. What more now with all the modern gadgets," he said at the PSM Fellowship Awards presentation at the society's headquarters here.

Dol, who was one of RTM's pioneers and a former Bernama general manager, received the fellowship from Heritage of Malaysia Trust president Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid.

The other two recipients were former Education Services Commission Tan Sri Sheikh Hussein Sheikh Mohamed and UKM Borneo Studies Centredirector Datuk Zainal Abidin Abdul Wahid. (Bernama)

***** Tan Sri Dol Ramli is a highly respected individual (His son Aziz Dol is a contemporary of mine and a very talented person) and he is absolutely right about the need to make history lessons more interesting.

However where the problem comes in is the spin that our history books give. It doesn't take a genius to quickly deduce after reading our history texts that the liberal interpretation and licence taken by our 'authors' is heavily skewed to promote Malay heroism and Umno propaganda while openly downplaying non-Malay involvement. Perhaps the good Tan Sri should also urge the government to keep historical 'interpretations' to a realistic and believable level.
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No Liqour Please, We're PAS

The state government must make sure that liquor is not served at events sponsored by a beer company in conjunction with the visit of Chelsea Football Club to Malaysia.

Selangor Pas Youth chief Sallehin Mukhyi said the presence of Muslims, including state leaders, at the events should be taken into account.

"We have nothing against them coming but we do not want liquor to be served at functions attended by Muslims. This will not only involve Pakatan Rakyat leaders and Selangor residents, it will also be done on state premises."

He said Pas Youth hoped the state government would study the programmes planned for the English football club before allowing it to come for the friendly match. "We urge the state government to cancel several of the programmes, which are against the tenets of Islam."

Sallehin said Pas had no issue with the football match as the party looked at it as a healthy activity.

"Since the match is with an international club, this would establish a good relationship at an international level. However, we do not want events conducted prior to the match to have liquor."

He said since the PR government included Pas, it would not be appropriate for a function to include liquor. He said an event serving liquor was not only against the tenets of Islam but also Malay culture. Therefore, the state Pas Youth wing would not hesitate to send a memorandum of protest to the state government on the issue.

This is not the first time the wing has asked the state government to step in to change parts of a function deemed un-Islamic.

It had submitted a memorandum to the menteri besar's office to protest plans to have artistes Ella and Mas Idayu perform at the Sultan of Selangor Cup football match on July 6 and threatened to hold a demonstration if the event went ahead. However, the show featured both artistes and went on without a hitch.

The match between Chelsea and the Malaysian national team is set to take place at Shah Alam Stadium on July 29. (NST)

***** No liqour and no women artistes. Both are against Islam and the 'Malay culture'. However go to 4-D shops on draw days and see how many Malays throng these outlets. Go to girlie bars on any day/night and see how Malay culture and the religion has not discouraged so many of them from patronising these places.

Frankly there is only so much that a democratic government should do to discourage citizens from indulging in their likes and tastes. But then again those who dream of absolute theocratic states and caliphates are not bound by the inconvenient fundamentals of a functioning democracy. Voting PAS anyone?

Oh No, Not Again! M'sian Hindu Family In Court To Reclaim Relative's Body Set To Be Buried As Muslim Islamic authorities in a Malaysian state are seeking custody of a man's body for burial, saying he was a Muslim convert, but his Hindu family disputes the claim, their lawyer said Thursday.It is the latest in a series of religious conversion disputes that erupt regularly in this Muslim-majority country, straining ethnic and racial tensions. The case puts renewed pressure on the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who had recently pledged that the rights of Chinese and Indian minorities would not be comprised in disputes with the majority Malays.B. Elangesvaran, 34, committed suicide by hanging on Sunday, family lawyer R. Nethaji Rayer told The Associated Press.After the autopsy, hospital authorities refused to release the body, saying they had been informed by the local Islamic Religious Department that Elangesvaran had converted to Islam. The department wants to give him a Muslim burial.His family has filed a case in a high court in the northern state of Penang, seeking a declaration that he is a Hindu and that his body should be handed over to them, Rayer said.The Star daily newspaper quoted Elangesvaran's brother, Selvan, as saying that Islamic authorities had failed to give him proof of conversion."I was only served with a police report alleging that my brother had embraced Islam at the Penang Islamic Religious Department ... and a letter with some scribbling allegedly done by Elangesvaran that he had converted," Selvan was quoted as saying.About 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people are Malay Muslims, and Islam is the official religion. Non-Muslims — mostly ethnic Chinese and Indians — make up 40 percent of the population. They generally practice their religions freely, but often complain that Islamic authorities refuse to look compassionately at interfaith disputes and flaunt their powers over minorities.In a bid to appease minority fears, Abdullah announced earlier this year that non-Muslims would soon be required to inform their family before converting to Islam to avoid post-death disputes.But Elangesvaran's case showed that Abdullah's announcement had amounted to nothing, said A. Vaithilingam, who heads a prominent interfaith group. "It's again coming back to fighting for the dead body. People who never knew him want to bury him, and his family has no chance to get involved," said Vaithilingam, president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism."It's the same old story. ... Every time there is a problem, the government makes a statement to ease tension and then forgets all about it," he told The Associated Press.Malaysia has a dual court system with civil courts for non-Muslims and Shariah courts for Muslims. In interfaith disputes involving Islam, the Shariah courts typically get the last word, leading to fears that minority rights are being compromised. (International Herald Tribune)***** Pak Lah needs this latest complication like he needs the HIV virus. The poor chap already has his hands full with political problems and is probably shaking his head in disbelief at the relentless avalanche of misfortune and bad luck which is besetting him. Perhaps it's time for him to consult a Feng Shui master!

Islamic authorities in a Malaysian state are seeking custody of a man's body for burial, saying he was a Muslim convert, but his Hindu family disputes the claim, their lawyer said Thursday.

It is the latest in a series of religious conversion disputes that erupt regularly in this Muslim-majority country, straining ethnic and racial tensions. The case puts renewed pressure on the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who had recently pledged that the rights of Chinese and Indian minorities would not be comprised in disputes with the majority Malays.

B. Elangesvaran, 34, committed suicide by hanging on Sunday, family lawyer R. Nethaji Rayer told The Associated Press.

After the autopsy, hospital authorities refused to release the body, saying they had been informed by the local Islamic Religious Department that Elangesvaran had converted to Islam. The department wants to give him a Muslim burial.

His family has filed a case in a high court in the northern state of Penang, seeking a declaration that he is a Hindu and that his body should be handed over to them, Rayer said.

The Star daily newspaper quoted Elangesvaran's brother, Selvan, as saying that Islamic authorities had failed to give him proof of conversion.

"I was only served with a police report alleging that my brother had embraced Islam at the Penang Islamic Religious Department ... and a letter with some scribbling allegedly done by Elangesvaran that he had converted," Selvan was quoted as saying.

About 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people are Malay Muslims, and Islam is the official religion. Non-Muslims — mostly ethnic Chinese and Indians — make up 40 percent of the population. They generally practice their religions freely, but often complain that Islamic authorities refuse to look compassionately at interfaith disputes and flaunt their powers over minorities.

In a bid to appease minority fears, Abdullah announced earlier this year that non-Muslims would soon be required to inform their family before converting to Islam to avoid post-death disputes.

But Elangesvaran's case showed that Abdullah's announcement had amounted to nothing, said A. Vaithilingam, who heads a prominent interfaith group. "It's again coming back to fighting for the dead body. People who never knew him want to bury him, and his family has no chance to get involved," said Vaithilingam, president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism.

"It's the same old story. ... Every time there is a problem, the government makes a statement to ease tension and then forgets all about it," he told The Associated Press.

Malaysia has a dual court system with civil courts for non-Muslims and Shariah courts for Muslims. In interfaith disputes involving Islam, the Shariah courts typically get the last word, leading to fears that minority rights are being compromised. (International Herald Tribune)

***** Pak Lah needs this latest complication like he needs the HIV virus. The poor chap already has his hands full with political problems and is probably shaking his head in disbelief at the relentless avalanche of misfortune and bad luck which is besetting him. Perhaps it's time for him to consult a Feng Shui master!

China Demolishes Mosque For Not Supporting Olympics - Exiled Group

Chinese authorities in the restive far western region of Xinjiang have demolished a mosque for refusing to put up signs in support of this August's Beijing Olympics, an exiled group said on Monday.

The mosque was in Kalpin county near Aksu city in Xinjiang's rugged southwest, the World Uyghur Congress said.

The spokesman's office of the Xinjiang government said it had no immediate comment, while telephone calls to the county government went unanswered.

"China is forcing mosques in East Turkistan to publicise the Beijing Olympics to get the Uighur people to support the Games (but) this has been resisted by the Uighurs," World Uyghur Congress spokesman Dilxat Raxit said in an emailed statement.

Beijing says al Qaeda is working with militants in Xinjiang to use terror to establish an independent state called East Turkistan.

Oil-rich Xinjiang is home to 8 million Turkic-speaking Uighurs, many of whom resent the growing economic and cultural influence of the Han Chinese.

Dilxat Raxit added that the mosque, which had been renovated in 1998, was accused of illegally renovating the structure, carrying out illegal religious activities and illegally storing copies of the Muslim holy book the Koran.

"All the Korans in the mosque have been seized by the government and dozens of people detained," he said. "The detained Uighurs have been tortured."

The Olympic torch relay passed through Xinjiang last week under tight security, with all but carefully vetted residents banned from watching on the streets and tight controls over foreign media covering the event, reports Reuters.

Dr Mahathir's Blog & Speeches - Defending The Indefensible; Beginning To Grate On Our Nerves

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claims that former judges removed during the 1988 judicial crisis were “bribed” into making allegations against him.

It was evident, he said, that the former judges who received ex-gratia payments from the Government had been made to say negative things about him.

“It’s been five years since I stepped down (as prime minister) and they had all these years to come out without fear to say I am bad. But why is it that only now, after having gotten money, are they saying so?'' he questioned when speaking to over 1,000 supporters here yesterday.

“Give all the judges some money so they all say the same thing,” he added.

Dr Mahathir, who regarded the billions given to Sabah and Sarawak as bribes in exchange for support, said a government which practised such corruption could not expect its people and followers to be different.

“When people oppose, make them senator or minister, give them money, give them a Tan Sri title but is this the Government that we want, is this what we call democracy? We can give money to Sabah and Sarawak but that doesn’t mean we will get their support,” he said.

During his one-hour speech, Dr Mahathir also suggested the setting up of an advisory panel to the prime minister.

“When power is given to only one person, there is a tendency to misuse that power and it becomes hard to separate the person from that power,” he said.

The same, he noted, should also be applied to the post of Umno president. (The Star)

***** Displaying signs of paranoia or senile decay or both, Dr Mahathir seriously voiced his concern yesterday that former judges had been 'bribed to throw dirt' at him! Dr M was of course referring to the comments made by retired Federal Court judge Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin who alleged that the former PM had wanted to amend Article 121 of the Federal Constitution because he wanted the judiciary to be under his control.

As a consequence of his convoluted thought process and a mind which is impervious to hearing the harsh truth about his misrule, Dr Mahathir cannot or will not perceive that it was his pernicious impatience in complying with the rule of law as well as his politically calculated wrongdoings which turned the lives of these honest judges into living hell.

To their credit these senior judges kept their opinion and counsel to themselves until now, when the government itself has accepted the gross injustice done to them. The ex-gratia payment is a poor substitute to the way their lives had been traumatised by Dr Mahathir's devious strategies and unbridled ambition. If some of them don't speak up now, then when can they get to tell their side of the story? - The horror story of one man's total domination of a country for 22 years during which he successfully either destroyed, dismantled or substantially weakened every single institution of the state. But now that some of them have directly pointed to Dr M as the culprit-in-chief, his only defense is that they have been bribed! Only a graft-ridden mind can so clearly smell bribery where there is none.

It is rich that Dr Mahathir should refer to Pak Lah by saying “when power is given to only one person, there is a tendency to misuse that power and it becomes hard to separate the person from that power.” That very statement totally embodies Dr M's tyrannical rule of the nation and it grates on our nerves to listen to this kind of argument from him ad nauseam, for there is this arrogant assumption that we are a bunch of suckers who'll believe all the misinformation which he feeds through his blog and speeches.

Justice Ian Chin's Allegations Meant To Shut Me Up, Says Dr Mahathir

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Friday the allegations that he "threatened" judges during his term as prime minister, was meant to shut him up.

He said even though he understood the reason for the allegations, he would continue to speak his mind and would answer all allegations in his blog.

"This is one of the ways to wallop me for speaking out but I am not going to stop. I will continue writing in my blog and it will be up to the people whether to believe (the allegations)," he told reporters here.

Asked whether he was planning to take action if the claims were not true, he said: "In which court should I bring up my case? I don't have the money and I don't know if I can win."

On Monday, Sibu High Court judge Datuk Ian Chin, while hearing a dispute over results of the March 8 general election in Sarawak, revealed that judges were threatened with dismissal if they did not make pro-government decisions.

On the statement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that he would not contest the Umno president's post and would instead accept the presidency by way of leadership transition, Dr Mahathir said Najib was taking the slow path to the presidency.

Najib told reporters in London on Thursday that he would not challenge Abdullah for the post. "I'm a true party man who believes in the traditional way of leadership transition," said Najib. (Bernama)

***** Dr Mahathir's claim may or may not be true. But more importantly if there was no basis to the High Court judge's allegations why should Dr M be perturbed or worried that this is an attempt by the government to muzzle him? Why indeed do we not see a strong rebuttal from the former PM on the points raised by Justice Chin? Perhaps Justice Chin has given an accurate and unvarnished description of the state of the judiciary during Dr Mahathir's tenure? Very plausible.

Umno Strikes Back - Sanusi Junid Sacked As International Islamic University President

Tan Sri Sanusi Junid has been "relieved of his duties" as International Islamic University Malaysia president with immediate effect.

In his second term now and with two more years to serve, he said he received the letter, dated June 2, on Monday.

The letter was from the Sultan of Pahang, the constitutional head of the university, Sanusi said.

He had previously said he would not step down from the post, which he considered part of his “duty to God and service to the people.”

The former Kedah Mentri Besar said there had been speculation over his post after he had resigned from Umno, following former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation on May 19.

On June 1, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khalid Nordin that there was no reason for Sanusi’s services to be terminated unless he “played politics” at campus. (The Star)

***** Umno couldn't directly hit out at the big man Dr Mahathir, so they whacked one of his underlings who had the 'temerity' to resign from Umno. More such petty moves on the cards? You bet!

Another 'Great' Suggestion By Muslim Consumers Association - Ban Handphone Use To Youths Below 18!

The Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) has proposed the promulgation of an act to ban handphone use to youths below 18.

PPIM project director Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin said this was due to the rise in recording of vulgar acts on handphones by youths.

"Youths below 18 should get the permission of their parents to use handphones while the handphones should be registered under their parents' names," he told reporters here today.

Noor Nirwandy said action should also be taken against handphone sellers who forwarded obscene video clips.

"They downloaded obscene material from handphones sent for repairs or traded in," he said.

Noor Nirwandy said in a survey, PPIM discovered that several handphone shops in the capital and Selangor were selling lewd video clips downloaded from handphones for between RM5 and RM30 each. (Bernama)

***** When it comes to 'novel' suggestions, no one can beat these guys from PPIM. In their typically befuddled logic, if they don't like something then it should be banned. No questions asked. In the case of 18-year-olds it's ok for them to ride motorbikes and vote in elections but handphones? No way brudder.

I say just ignore these folks and let them wallow in their shallow little world.

Torture Widespread In Indonesia Says UN Committee Against Torture

Indonesia's police, armed forces and intelligence services routinely torture and degrade criminal suspects to extract confessions, with almost total impunity for those responsible, a United Nations rights body says.

The UN Committee Against Torture says it is "deeply concerned about numerous ongoing credible and consistent allegations" of abuse in the Indonesian justice system.

Military officials and "morality police" were also found to use disproportionate force and violence, particularly against women, in the Aceh province and other areas of conflict, the 10 member independent panel says in the report released in Geneva.

It cited "grave concerns over the climate of impunity for perpetrators of acts of torture, including military, police and other state officials, particularly those holding senior position."

"No state official alleged to have perpetrated torture has been found guilty," the committee said.

Its 14 pages of findings are not legally binding but do carry diplomatic weight.

The report expounded upon the concerns raised in November by UN torture expert Manfred Nowak, who said torture of detainees in Indonesian police custody was rife despite efforts to combat rights abuses after the ousting of autocratic former president Suharto.

The UN panel calls on Jakarta to take immediate steps to uphold legal safeguards for those taken into custody, including ensuring all detained suspects get the right to access a lawyer, notify a relative, be informed of the charges laid against them and be brought before a judge in a timely manner.

Particular concern was raised about "morality police" in Aceh - split by separatist violence for decades before a peace pact in 2005 - which the panel says has an undefined jurisdiction and unclear supervision by public or state institutions.

"The necessary legal fundamental safeguards do not exist for persons detained by such officials, including the absence of a right to legal counsel, the apparent presumption of guilt, the execution of punishment in public, and the use of physically abusive methods (flogging, caning, etc)," it said.

"The punishments meted out by this policing body have a disproportionate impact on women," the committee added, also raising alarm over a high incidence of rape and sexual violence committed by the military in conflict areas, and sexual abuse and forced labour against female migrant workers in the country.

It further called on Jakarta to fully cooperate with international efforts to investigate, prosecute and extradite those responsible for abuses in East Timor, a former Indonesian territory that became independent in 2002. (ABC News)

***** The abang2 there practise torture while the adik2 here use the sedition act and the ISA to cow their citizens. Oh what happy siblings we are!

Makkal Osai Gets Nod To Renew Permit

The Tamil daily, Makkal Osai which had an application for the renewal of its publishing licence rejected on April 16, was today given the nod to renew the permit. According to the General Manager of the newpaper, S.M. Periasamy the Makkal Osai will start publishing again this Saturday.

Probably as a result of the numerous appeals as well as the furore the ban had aroused, the Home Ministry must have had a 'change of heart' and relented. The ministry could well have been taken aback by the uproar and objections to their high-handed act as well as the absence of a good enough reason to justify the refusal to issue a permit.

Following the rejection, Makkal Osai had filed an appeal against the decision by the Home Ministry. Former MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam had then met with Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

Makkal Osai submitted an application for renewal on July 16, 2007, three months before its permit expired on Oct 15 last year.

The newspaper started operations as Tamil Osai in 1981, and later changed its name to Makkal Osai in 2005. It has a daily circulation of 52,000 copies and 95,000 on weekends.

The renewal while good news for those espousing free speech, would probably be a sad day for the daily's arch-enemy Samy Vellu.

Besides Makkal Osai, the other two Tamil dailies are Tamil Nesan and Malaysia Nanban.

China’s 'Torch Heroine' Is Now A Traitor!

Jin Jing holds on tightly to the torch to keep it away from attackers during the Paris leg of the relay April 7, 2008. [Xinhua]
A week, it’s often said, is a long time in politics. In China today, it’s long enough for the tide of public opinion to turn viciously against someone who was celebrated not long ago as a ‘national heroine’.

Barely a week ago, Jin Jing, a disabled Chinese woman fencer who was one of the Olympic torchbearers in Paris, was being hailed in China as a “saviour of national honour” for defending the torch from pro-Tibet demonstrators who attempted to seize it from her.

Images of the pretty, one-legged Chinese woman rising from her wheelchair to valiantly hold on to the torch were plastered all over Chinese newspapers. Jin, who was christened “the smiling angel on a wheelchair”, was interviewed by all the official media.

In a nation seething with wounded pride over the protests against the torch relay in London and Paris, Jin was instantly embraced as a symbol of Chinese resolve to make the Olympics a success despite the effort of “anti-China forces” to “disrupt” the Games later this year.

But all that has changed today. Jin is now being targeted for abuse as a “race traitor”, and in the colourful language that characterises contemporary Chinese political discourse, as “an utterly brainless, evil-eyed wolf.”

What has changed since last week? It turns out that in one of the many interviews she gave during the short time she was savoured as a celebrity, Jin cautioned against the virulent mobilisation of Chinese citizens for a boycott of French supermarket chain Carrefour.

The campaign began initially as a call to boycott Carrefour on May 1, Labour Day, on the charge (since denied by the supermarket chain) that its parent company had donated funds to the Dalai Lama, who is reviled in China as a “splittist”.

But in recent days, the boycott call has gained momentum, and thousands of protesters have been gathering at Carrefour outlets to protest against Tibetan independence and alleged Western media bias in the coverage of developments in the troubled region in China’s west.

Jin said that the call to boycott Carrefour was unwise because the company employs many Chinese people, who would be hurt economically by a widespread boycott. For speaking out against the boycott call, which has proved hugely popular in China, Jin became the target of China’s army of “cybernationalists”, who have branded her a “traitor”.

“Jin Jing must have been paid off by the French,” posted one Netizen. “First she lost her leg; now, she’s lost her mind,” said another. “Are you capable of representing the Great Han Race?” asked a third. (DNA)

***** For such are the dangers of blind nationalism.
Interesting Read: Latest propagandic episode from start to (just about) finish

Malaysian Police Detain Japanese Family Protesting Torch Run

Malaysian police detained a Japanese family of three who unfurled a pro-Tibet banner just before the first runner took off with Olympic Torch Monday.

Witnesses said the adult couple and a boy were heckled by bystanders, who appeared to be Chinese, during the confrontation, which occurred at Independence Square where the 10-mile relay began.

About an hour later, the president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, Imran Jaafar, set off with the torch, the first of 80 who will carry it through the capital.

Thousands of bystanders - many of them wearing red - were gathered to watch the send-off. Some carried Chinese flags and Chinese language banners that read: "The Torch will spread around the world," and "No one can split China."

The witnesses said some of the bystanders shouted "Taiwan and Tibet belong to China" when they saw the family revealing the pro-Tibet banner. The witnesses couldn't recall the exact wording on the banner because of the commotion. They all declined to be named, citing reluctance to be associated with a foreign media organization or involved in a police matter.

A police official at the scene said the family was "taken in for documentation." He did not give any details and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information to the media.

Criticism of China's human rights record has turned the Olympics into one of the most contentious in recent history.

Protests have dogged the torch relay during its stops in Paris, London and San Francisco, with demonstrations over China's crackdown in Tibet where it forcefully put down anti-government riots.

Fear of further disruptions has triggered unprecedented security for the Malaysian leg. Some 1,000 policemen and commandos were deployed along the route in Kuala Lumpur even though police have not received reports of any planned protests, said a police spokesman who declined to be named, citing protocol.

The flame arrived Sunday from Bangkok, where its relay was unmarred by demonstrations.
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Related news: Japan changes Olympic torch relay route

Syed Hamid Pledges To Review Repressive Media Laws. Can We Trust Him?

Malaysia's home minister has pledged to review the country's repressive media laws, promising to boost press freedom, a report said Sunday.

"I have told my officers that I want to have a re-look at the Printing Presses and Publications Act so that we can move with the times," Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying in the Star daily.

He was referring to legislation that requires newspapers and other publications to apply for licenses that are renewed annually.

He added that a publishing permit had been approved for the opposition Keadilan party's newspaper. The party had been applying since its formation in 1999.

Malaysia's media are largely state-linked and kept on a tight leash.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks the country 124 out of 169 on its worldwide press freedom index, and says the main media are "often compelled to ignore or to play down the many events organized by the opposition."

But Syed Hamid said he wanted to change that perception.

"We need press freedom in order for us to have a check and balance in government. We are not trying to control you but we want everyone to contribute to the nation-building process," he said.

"Why should we let ourselves (government) become unpopular by having such regulations?" he asked.

Last week, a leading Tamil-language newspaper's permit was not renewed by the home ministry because it had violated guidelines on racial harmony.

Syed Hamid said the publication had breached guidelines stipulating that newspapers should not raise sensitive issues that could threaten racial harmony and the country's stability.

***** On the one hand Syed Hamid Albar refused to renew the permit of Makkal Osai citing unspecified 'violations' which probably means that the ministry has nothing solid to go on. And on the other he's trying to play the good, kind and benevolent politician! How are we to trust such a person?

Going by the past record of Umno home ministers we shouldn't get our hopes up too high. Nothing earthshaking will happen and the repressive laws will continue to remain on the statute books.

China's Dreams Of Olympics Glory Stumble Along The Torch's Route

The Olympic torch relay was meant to kick off China's moment in the sun, but it's turned into a public relations fiasco with ever-larger squads of police in foreign capitals shielding the torch from protesters.

China has given no sign it will cut short the relay, which continues its 21-city global odyssey today in Bangkok, Thailand, and Monday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Yet, frustration has set in that the troubled torch relay may signal further minefields ahead for the Summer Games on Aug. 8-24 and a loss of face for China rather than a boost for the world's most populous nation.

"All that has happened is a kind of humiliation," said Hu Xingdou, a political analyst at the Beijing Institute of Technology. "The government never expected this."

At nearly every stop, authorities have altered the route or shortened it to keep protesters from disrupting the relay, as they did April 6 and 7 in London and Paris.

Observers in China voiced relief that a torch stop Thursday in New Delhi came off without major incident. They credited a massive police turnout that deterred exiled Tibetan residents — who number 100,000 in India — from protesting China's handling of Tibetan uprisings within its borders last month.

"India sent 15,000 police out, and there was not a single incident. And they arrested 160 to 170 protesters," said Shen Dingli, an international relations scholar at Fudan University in Shanghai. "Why can't those rich countries do a better job than India does?"

China had hopes that the Summer Games would showcase the nation's dramatic economic rise, its glittering new skyscrapers and its ability to host the most expensive Olympic Games in history with the best facilities.

Instead, the noisy protests among Tibet supporters have triggered anger among many ordinary Chinese, who think the West wants to hobble China's rise. In addition, the demonstrations have embarrassed the International Olympic Committee.

"Everybody's losing. No one comes out looking good in this exercise," said Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. "The tragedy of the protesters is that they've stoked a very powerful Chinese nationalism, and that's not going to be very helpful to Tibet."

In the Thai capital, police prepared for pro-Tibet protesters and for demonstrators unhappy with China's support of army generals ruling in neighboring Myanmar and of weapons sales to Sudan, where violence racks the troubled Darfur region.

As the torch relay moves around the world, organizers deploy greater numbers of police officers and keep the public farther away. Olympic Games sponsors have notably distanced themselves from the relay, not wanting to associate with an event that is producing images of police clashing with demonstrators.

A chartered jetliner carrying the torch landed before dawn Friday in a military-controlled area of Bangkok's Don Muang Airport, far from the public.

Next week, the torch will be taken to Australia, where authorities face the prospect of massive numbers of Olympics supporters from within a large resident ethnic Chinese community facing off with pro-Tibet demonstrators. "There's talk of tens of thousands from both sides congregating in Canberra," the site of the torch relay, said Malcolm Cook, the Asia and Pacific program director at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney. "The worry is that emotions on both sides are very high."

After Australia, the relay continues to Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Vietnam and Hong Kong. It ends May 3 in Macau before beginning a lengthy journey through China, including Tibet.

Amid the troubles this month, some IOC officials considered cutting short the global torch relay. But they abandoned the idea.

One IOC member said he thought the relay should be scrapped. "I have always thought the international torch relay is not a particularly good idea," Canadian Dick Pound told "The Diane Rehm Show," a syndicated U.S. public radio program. "You can't do it thoroughly enough. It costs a fortune. The logistics are terrible."

Some Chinese, meanwhile, said the protests signaled that the country must boost its vigilance to prevent demonstrators from upstaging the games once they begin.

"We have to be prepared for something to happen during the Olympics," Hu said. (By Tim Johnson, TwinCities.com)
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Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) Appeals For Malaysian Newspaper Renewal

April 18, 2008

Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Minister of Internal Security and Home Affairs
Level 12, Block D1, Parcel D
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62546 Putrajaya, Malaysia

Via facsimile: +60 3 8889 1613
Dear Minister,

The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the future of Tamil-language daily Makkal Osai after your office, according to news reports, rejected its publishing permit renewal. We call on you to reconsider your decision, to allow the newspaper to continue to serve the Indian minority community in Malaysia, and to review the licensing regulations that stifle the publication of independent news.

The Associated Press reported that your office informed the paper’s staff on Wednesday that the publication permit had not been renewed. No reason was given for the decision, AP reported. The paper ceased printing but retained staff, pending the result of an appeal filed Thursday, local news reports said. The daily had applied for a new permit several months ago but received no response, according to the reports.

Makkal Osai’s manager, B.R. Rajan, told AP he believed the rejection came in retribution for the paper’s critical line on social and political issues. The Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ), a Malaysian press freedom organization that monitored media coverage of the March general election, said in a statement that Makkal Osai gave significant space to the opposition. Most newspapers praised the ethnic-Malay dominated National Front coalition, which has won every election since the country’s independence in 1957. Makkal Osai also reported extensively on November 2007 rallies protesting racial discrimination against Malaysia’s Indian community, according to AP.

CPJ research shows that printing permits, which are renewed annually, have been used as political leverage, with the threat of non-renewal inhibiting independent reporting. This is especially troubling because ownership of Malaysian media companies is dominated by ruling parties or their affiliates.

The publication has been obstructed in the past. In August 2007, the government suspended the paper’s permit for a month for publishing a cartoon that offended the Malaysian Indian Congress, a political party that is part of the ruling coalition.

You told reporters on Thursday that Makkal Osai was in breach of unspecified licensing guidelines, according to The Star. You cited Malaysia’s multi-racial, multi-religious environment as the rationale behind the strict printing legislation, The Star said, but you did not elaborate in comments that were printed in the Malaysian press.

The newspaper could appeal the decision, you told the reporters: “We will look at it again,” you said. We urge you to do so immediately and with full transparency. Renewing the permit for Makkal Osai would allow an important voice to be heard in Malaysia’s ethnically diverse communities. We also call on you to abandon the sections of the Printing and Publications Act that pertain to publication permits; they serve to inhibit diverse voices in Malaysian media.


Sincerely,
Joel Simon
Executive Director

Join CPJ in protesting this attack on the press. Write or fax to the address above.

An Aging, Out-Of-Touch-With-Reality Umno Crony Speaks Up For Dr Mahathir

Cheras Umno head Datuk Syed Ali Al-Habshee has rapped the New Straits Times (NST) editors for publishing reports of opposition party members belittling Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"I am deeply disappointed," he said in a statement Monday.

"I am of the opinion that it is totally improper for a newspaper like the NST to publish such reports as Dr Mahathir has done many good deeds for the people and country," he added.

On page six, the newspaper today published Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's labelling of the former prime minister as an old and confused leader.

It also published, on the same page, Puchong Member of Parliament Gobind Singh Deo accusing Dr Mahathir of damaging the country's democratic process and independence of the judiciary.

Syed Ali said the NST was being unfair in it giving a picture about Dr Mahathir from the perspective of opposition leaders who were known never to see the good deeds done by Barisan Nasional leaders and government.

"I hope the relevant people will take the appropriate action so that no Umno institution will ever be used by the opposition to belittle leaders who have done many good deeds for the people and country.

"We have to respect and appreciate the good deeds of past leaders. When the present leaders are no longer in service, we should also respect and appreciate their good deeds," he said.

He said that from feedback he received, the people especially the Malays could not accept the continuous running down and insult on Dr Mahathir. Such acts would only make them angry towards the government, he added.

"We have to be careful so that we are not being used as a tool to create uneasiness or anger towards the government," he said. (Bernama)

***** So Syed Ali Al-Habshee considers the NST an 'Umno institution'! Interesting. Speaks volumes of how out-of-tune his mental faculties are at the moment. Times have changed and for the NST to persist with the old Umnospeak will only hasten its current marginalisation, confirm its lack of credibility and guarantee its eventual demise. 'Publish the truth or perish' is the only formula for NST's survival and no Umno crony is going to change that now.

I like the part where this idiot says, "the people especially the Malays could not accept the continuous running down and insult on Dr Mahathir"! This is nothing but an oft-used, pathetic trick to give his argument an 'us vs. them' bangsa twist. In real fact a large number of Malays, including some in the highest echelons of government and Umno, are in the forefront of roundly condemning the former PM for his venomous tirades against Pak Lah and his administration.

If Dr Mahathir had conducted himself like a retired statesman instead of pugnaciously putting down the government at every turn, he would have been placed on a pedestal and the many sins he committed while in power would probably have been forgiven and forgotten. But no. He persisted in condemning the PM and the government as if he were still an active politician and therefore he must be prepared to receive as much flak as he is willing to deliver. It is part and parcel of everyday politics and this silly old crony hollering his disapproval and trying to make a federal case out of it, should just jump under the nearest tempurung and take a long, long rest. That's the best patriotic gesture he can make at the moment.

Beijing Olympics' Collateral Damage - Crackdown On Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals & Trans-Sexuals

AIDS activists and gay rights supporters in China have sounded an alarm following one of the largest crackdowns on gays and lesbians in Beijing, evidently as part of a “clean-up” ahead of the Olympics.

Wan Yanhai, China’s best known and most outspoken AIDS activist, has detailed several instances of police raids targeted at LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-sexual communities) in Beijing during March. Several gays and lesbians have been detained or interrogated, and establishments frequented by them have been raided and, in some cases, even shut down.

Gays and lesbians otherwise enjoy unfettered freedom to live out their lifestyle in China, where homosexuality has been decriminalised in recent years. Official Chinese policy towards gay issues is, however, characterised by the “three Nos”: no approval, no disapproval and no promotion.

According to Wan, early in March, Destination, a popular LGBT nightclub in Beijing, was shut down for a few days following a police raid. The police said the club was “too crowded”, and restricted access to it.

In mid-March, police interrogated and detained some 40 people at the Dongdan Park in Beijing’s east district, one of the established LGBT cruising spots. In this case too, police claimed that the crackdown was linked to an alleged murder at the park a day earlier, but curiously none of those detained were interrogated about the murder.

The crackdown at Dongdan park continued for several days running, Wan said. People in the park were asked to show their ID, and police cleared out the park in the evening. Later in March, a large posse of police raided two popular gay bathhouses in Beijing at the Oasis club, and detained more than 70 clients and staff. Although the clients were subsequently released, the bathhouses remain shut down.

Wan reported other instances of interrogation and detention of gays and lesbians in March: in the most recent instance, police detained over 75 male sex workers who operated on the Beijing Tongzhi chatrooms.

A chatroom announcement reads: “These days, Beijing is clearing out the city and carrying out a crackdown on sex work. The police have detained more than 80 sex workers… This website does not welcome people with illegal intentions, and hopes everyone works together to fight illegal behaviour.” There were also independent reports of a raid on PinkHome, a trendy gay bar in Shanghai.

The raids are ostensibly being carried out for other reasons other than homosexuality: drugs, overcrowding, and excessively loud music. In any case, no official reasons have been cited for the crackdown. Yet, gay rights activists suspect they are being carried out as part of a “spring cleaning” exercise ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August. (DNA News)

China Spurns International Call For Dialogue With Dalai Lama

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has spurned international calls for his government to hold talks with the exiled Dalai Lama over recent unrest in Tibetan areas, blaming the Buddhist leader for violent protests and accusing him of insincerity.

Wen said that supporters of the Dalai Lama had encouraged the "appalling incident in Lhasa", the capital of Tibet, and "similar incidents in other parts of China".

"There is plenty of evidence proving that this (Lhasa) incident was organized, premeditated and masterminded by the Dalai clique," Wen told reporters Tuesday at the end of the annual National People's Congress, China's nominal parliament.

Claims by supporters of the Dalai Lama that they wanted peaceful dialogue were "nothing but lies," he said. "Even under these circumstances, our original position remains unchanged," he said when asked about the possibility of direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

"As long as the Dalai Lama is willing to give up the so-called 'Tibet independence' and accept that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, our door is wide open," Wen said.

The Dalai Lama has previously declined to comment on the status of Taiwan, which China still claims as a breakaway province, on the grounds that the island has no connection with Tibet.

He has publicly renounced independence in favour of maximum autonomy and religious freedom for Tibet within China, but Beijing continues to accuse him of seeking independence and blames him for the lack of dialogue. "We should not only listen to what he says, but also listen to what he does," Wen said.

Wen's comments came as Tibetan exile groups reported more protests in Tibetan areas of China.

Tibetan students at Beijing's Central Minorities University held a silent, candle-lit vigil Monday night for those who died in the violence, reports said.

The government Monday expelled journalists from Lhasa and suspended permits for foreigners to travel to the city as a Tibetan exile group reported mass arrests ahead of a deadline for protesters to surrender to police.

Officials said at least 13 people died in Friday's rioting, but the Tibetan government in exile said it had confirmed at least 80 deaths in the city.

Wen Tuesday repeated the government's assertion that its forces had "exercised extreme restraint" in confronting protesters.

US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are among the world leaders who have urged China to hold dialogue with him over the recent unrest. (DNA)
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Related report: Dalai Lama says will quit if violence out of control

China Sets Deadline For Tibet Rioters To Surrender

China set a "surrender" deadline after riots in Lhasa that it said killed 10 innocent people, launching a crackdown on Saturday after the worst unrest in Tibet for two decades.

The response came after torrid protests on Friday which flew in the face of official claims the region was immune from unrest as Beijing readies to hold the Olympic Games in August.

Xinhua news agency said 10 "innocent civilians" were shot or burnt to death in fires that accompanied street clashes in the remote, mountain capital on Friday. It said no foreigners died, and the dead included two people killed with shotguns.

Tibetan law-and-order departments offered leniency for rioters who turned themselves in by Monday midnight.

"Criminals who do not surrender themselves by the deadline will be sternly punished according to the law," stated the notice on the Tibetan government Web site (www.tibet.gov.cn). It added that those who "harbor or hide" them also face harsh treatment.

The government offered rewards and protection for informers.

Chinese television showed footage of rioters trashing shops and trying to break down the entrance of a bank, and plumes of smoke floating above the city.

A source close to the self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile suggested China's death toll of 10 was not the full story. He said at least five Tibetan protesters were shot dead by troops. Other groups supporting Tibetan independence have claimed many more may have died.

The Olympic torch arrives in Lhasa in a matter of weeks.

China has accused followers of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, of masterminding the rioting, which has scarred its image of national harmony in the build-up to the Beijing Olympics.

A rash of angry blog posts appeared after China confirmed deaths in Lhasa and Hollywood actor Richard Gere, a Buddhist and an activist for Tibetan causes, suggested an Olympic boycott.

Tibetan crowds in the remote mountain city attacked government offices, burnt vehicles and shops and threw stones at police on Friday in bloody confrontations that left many injured.

A Reuters picture showed a protester setting afire a Chinese national flag. Another depicted security personnel shielding themselves against rocks hurled by protesters.

Qiangba Puncog, the top government official in Tibet, told reporters in Beijing that Tibetan authorities had not fired any shots to quell the violence.

But official statements suggested the government reaction in coming days will be tough, and will bring Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries under tighter controls.

The Tibet government notice claimed that the burning of schools, hospitals, shops and houses was "premeditated". And an announcement on Tibet television urged residents to denounce the "malicious intent" of the Dalai Lama, "protect national sovereignty" and "reject lawless monks and nuns".

The International Campaign for Tibet cited unconfirmed reports of scores of Tibetans killed. John Ackerly of the group said in an e-mailed statement he feared "hundreds of Tibetans have been arrested and are being interrogated and tortured".

Danish tourist Bente Walle, 58, said Lhasa was like a ghost town on Saturday.

"Today Lhasa is completely closed and there is Chinese military all over," she said, adding that many people were tying white prayer scarves on doors. "The Tibetans put them on their doors to tell everybody: here is a Tibetan."

NO CHANGE OF POLICY

The riots emerged from a volatile mix of pre-Olympics protests, diplomatic friction over Tibet and local discontent with the harsh ways of the region's Communist Party leadership.

China has chided the leaders of the United States and especially Germany in past months for hosting the Dalai Lama, saying such acts boost what they call his "separatist" goals. It has also urged India to stop protests there by exiled Tibetans.

"We are fully capable of maintaining the social stability of Tibet," Xinhua quoted an official as saying in a statement repeated across Chinese state media on Saturday.

But already the protests have become an international issue dogging the Beijing Games, which China hopes will showcase its economic progress and social harmony.

Asked whether he thought the unrest in Tibet would affect the torch relay passing through there, Sun Weide, spokesman for the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, said no.

"The preparations for the Torch relay in Tibet and taking the flame up Mount Qomolangma have been progressing smoothly," he said. Mount Qomolangma is better known as Mount Everest.
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