Najib's 'No Racism' Warning Is Just Another Sandiwara

Come of it lah brudder! You can't fool all of the people all of the time. Najib knows those wise words, but hey what's another lie for a person who by nature is a deceiving trickster? When our PM came out with the warning about racist remarks in public, my first thought was whether he was referring to the recent imbroglio involving two utterly stupid makcik masquerading as headmistresses or had he by any chance grown a ball or two and decided to caution that supremely ugly Malay supremacist Ibrahim Ali.

But having an inkling about the devious ways in which this man operates, the thought crossed my mind that he may have actually been targeting MCA, Pakatan and ordinary non-Malays for commenting on free speech, more rights for everyone and basically wanting a more just and equitable Malaysia. Non-Malays asking for a fair deal and true democracy is in Umno's world nothing but pure racism and sedition and the 'racists' should be subjected to lynching.

So I wouldn't give much thought to Najib's admonition. It's a waste of time and energy. He is simply not going to lift his pinkie and he won't specifically target any one Malay individual or group spewing racist venom. If it's to his advantage he may even arrest Chua Soi Lek but Umno connected Malays are apparently above the law.

Meanwhile the country is fast going down the slippery slope and national unity is but a far distant memory. I'm seriously thinking of moving to Singapore at least for the sake of my kids. To be sure racism does exist in Singapore too but not the increasingly venomous kind that you find here. The final straw for me was when almost the entire top leadership of Umno both in and out of Cabinet, except for Khairy and Nazri, kept absolutely silent in the wake of a tsunami-like uproar from the public. That the Umno leadership condones such ignorant racist talk is very apparent. Downplaying the issue like what Hishamuddin did as well as the dismissive attitude of that educated idiot Alimuddin Mohd Dom, DG of Education only made matters worse.

Everyone knows that our education system had gone down the longkang decades ago. What kept it propped up for a long time was the pool of dedicated and talented teachers from all the races. As the last of this group of educationists retired over the seventies and early eighties we and our children were set upon by a massive horde of locally trained 'teachers' almost exclusively Malay. We and our nation have yet to recover from the trauma of this onslaught. The racist Hajjahs in Johor and Kedah are merely two examples of an entire generation of BTN indoctrinated goons let loose in our schools to maraud as they wish. In the process all pupils, both Malay and non-Malay, have been deeply affected and their future jeopardised. Those in Chinese schools, accused of producing social skills disadvantaged, exam passing automatons had at least escaped this mediocre fare dished out in sekolah kebangsaan. At least for a short period in their vulnerable lives they had been spared the ravages of racism spooking the classrooms of our 'national' schools.

And please don't expect that Najib will suddenly have a change of heart and perform a miracle. He won't. What we need is not a change of heart but a change of government.

Malaysian School Teachers Beat Up Indian Kids Black-And-Blue, Call Derogatory Names

Over the past almost one year, incidents of school teachers physically abusing students of Indian origin have been on the rise in Malaysia, and in some instances, teachers even called the Indian students by derogatory names.

The school teachers have reportedly acquired the hate-Indian students attitude after the transfer of a school teacher from a secondary school in Banting, who is now facing an inquiry after she admitted to leveling racial slurs against Indian students.

Several parents of such children here have lodged police reports since November last year alleging that as many as five school teachers had physically and verbally abused Indian students.

R. Sathasnam (52) said that he and another parent had complained to the schools administration repeatedly, but the abuses still continue. He alleged that these five teachers regularly hit the students and told them to transfer out of the school, as they (the teachers) were fed-up of seeing their faces. One of the teachers called some Indian students derogatory names, alleged Sathasnam.

He alleged that many Indian students were slapped, kicked, punched and caned by these teachers for misdemeanours such as talking while lining-up to enter the classroom.

My 10-year-old son was lifted-up by the ears by a male teacher and slapped and kicked for talking before entering the classroom after recess in February, staronline.com quoted Sathasnam as saying.

He claimed his sons ears turned blue-black and his cheeks swelled after the beating. When he rushed his son to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital , the doctor there advised him to file a police report. Another parent R. Viganaspary, 40, said her son was repeatedly hit on the head with a rolled-up newspaper and caned on the legs for not having a particular exercise book.

Meanwhile, Coalition of Malaysian Indian NGOs secretary Gunaraj George, who met Sathasnam and Viganaspary recently, said the coalition would present a memorandum on the matter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi soon. These are young impressionable children and the alleged incidents will only teach them to hate, he said.

Malaysian Deputy Minister and Senator T. Murugiah promised to look into these cases and speak to the principal next week when school reopens. Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong also said that he would comment only after he had seen copies of the police reports. (ANI)

***** Are we really surprised or shocked? That racist and religious chauvinists, misfits and nutcases have infested the teaching fraternity is well known. However the irresponsible tidak apa stance and reaction of the education department is deplorable.

Imagine if the same thing had happened to students of the 'other' race. By now the minister and his officials would have paid televised visits to the home of those students, given them some financial compensation and heads would have rolled. But since the victims are 'only' Indians, the authorities could not be the least bit bothered. Which begs the question, are these education department buggers any less racist than the psychiatric screwballs perpetrating violence with impunity on their students?

Malaysian Opposition Gears Up To Abolish Preventive Laws

Malaysia’s opposition alliance has said it would move a motion for the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA) under which many people have been detained. Opposition Leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail reiterated Wednesday what her husband and former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim had recently said: if brought to power, the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat would end the ISA and other preventive laws.

Wan Azizah joined various human rights groups that have urged the government to end the laws. The government has, however, said the laws were required to maintain public order and cites such laws in operation in several countries like the US and Britain.

Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) and the Human Rights Committee (HRC) of the Bar Council issued a joint memorandum to urge all MPs to lobby for the abolishment of the act, The Star newspaper said.

Together with them were the family members of ISA detainees who also appeared at a press conference Wednesday. But the newspaper did not name the family members.

Five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) that organised a protest rally attended by over 10,000 Tamils last November are among the ISA detainees.

The government has justified their detention on the ground that the five - M. Manoharan, 46, P. Uthayakumar, 46, V. Ganabatirau, 34, R. Kengadharan, 40, and K. Vasantha Kumar, 34 - were trying to destabilise the ethnic balance in society and had suspected terror links.

The government said it has detained more of the Islamist militants under the ISA.

In the memorandum, the groups called for immediate and unconditional release of all ISA detainees and prosecute them in a public and fair trial.

Human rights activist Amer Hamzah Arshad said it was internationally recognised that the detention of people without trial was in violation of the rule of law, human rights and the principles of democratic government.

“While the government is obliged to ensure peace and security of the country, it is not permitted to do so at the expense of basic principles of human rights and natural justice,” he said.

Arshad said the memorandum also called for immediate closure of all detention camps where detainees were held without trial. (IANS)

***** It looks like the only way the ISA can be abolished is if we 'abolish' the BN. Only time will tell.

Jamaludin Jarjis - A Brief Biography

Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri Dr. Jamaludin b Dato' Mohd Jarjis is a Malaysian politician and the former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Cabinet of Malaysia.

Jamaluddin is a highly qualified electrical engineer. He graduated with first class honours in Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).

He went on to pursue his higher degrees in Canada. He obtained a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Manitoba and a PhD in Electrical Engineering (Power System) from McGill University in 1980. The title of his PhD thesis is "Loadflow Feasibility Conditions in Power Networks".

Jamaluddin Jarjis has held a number of positions throughout his professional career. He began his career as a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 1974.

In 1984, he established his own engineering consultancy firm, J&A Associates. Since then, he has become the Executive Vice Chairman of EPE Power Corporation and Chairman of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the national power supply company.

Political Career

Jamaluddin has been the Member of Parliament for Rompin, Pahang since 1990. He was elected to the UMNO Supreme Council in May 2000. This election increased his prominence in Malaysian politics.

The various cabinet positions that Jamaluddin has held since November 2002 include:

* November 2002 - Second Finance Minister
* January 2004 - Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.
* March 2004 - 2008 Minister Of Science, Technology and Innovation. (He was not re appointed a Minister after the 2008 election)

Controversy

Jamaluddin was involved in a controversy while on a working visit to the United States. He had met up with Malaysian students studying at a particular university. He insulted two Malaysian Indian students by saying the student who was of darker skin colour was of lower class origin. He even said that he would help the Malay students studying there to get scholarships from Majlis Amanah Rakyat, while telling the Indian students he could not do anything for them unless they appealed through the Malaysian Indian Congress.

Family

Jamaluddin is married to Datin Sri Dr Kalsom Ismail. They have four children. (Wikipedia)

***** So was the thirtyish woman light or dark-skinned?
Related post: Who Is The Randy Ex-Cabinet Minister?
From a letter in Malaysiakini last year: Education has failed on minister

A Selfish View On The Award Of Scholarships

From the opinion section of today's The Star.

Unfair to discriminate against the rich in scholarships
The SPM results have just been released. Many students will be busy applying for various scholarships and loans to help finance them in their studies.

Here, I would like to voice my opinion on the criteria used for awarding scholarships. According to the Webster's Dictionary, scholarship is defined as “the position of a student, who because of merit, needs, etc. is granted money or other aid to pursue his studies. “

This means that if a student has worked hard and excelled in his studies, he deserves to be given a scholarship despite his financial background. This scholarship should be awarded to him as he has worked hard to earn it.

Thus, I feel that it is unfair to penalise a student and deprive him of a scholarship because he comes from a wealthy family.

If a student came from a poor background, he or she has to work extra hard to secure a scholarship as otherwise he can always apply for a loan.
A scholarship should be awarded according to the student's own merit. It should have nothing to do with the parents' income.

The fact that the student is making an application shows that he or she needs the money for further studies.

I have gone through a number of scholarship forms and am shocked at the particulars they want. For example, they want parents' details, race, religion, etc. The income of family is considered as an important criteria and this carries a certain percentage of marks.

What has that got to do with awarding the scholarships? It should be based entirely on student's own particulars, examination results, and the activities they have participated.

I hope the various bodies offering scholarships would reconsider the set of criteria and award scholarships based on merits.

P. SAROJINI, Port Dickson.

***** Apparently the above writer has absolutely no sympathy for the poor and deprived. She views everything through a rigid lens of 'merit'. The fact that she can say without qualms that the poor 'can always apply for a loan,' is testimony to her lopsided thinking.

The Webster's Dictionary definition is not an absolute and neither is merit. The selection criteria for scholarships must be tempered with justice, fair play and a realistic assessment of the prevailing situation in our country.

One must understand that the number of scholarships available at any one time is severely limited and often much less than the number of those qualifying with top marks. After making allowance for the disparity in income between the poor and the 'wealthy' as the writer prefers to describe them (and herself?) and all things being otherwise equal, scholarships should be given to those from the lower socio-economic groups.

Obtaining a scholarship on merit is not the inherent right of any citizen. These are meant as a financial helping hand for those from the poorer sections of society who would otherwise find it almost impossible to undertake tertiary studies. Scholarships should be considered as a social service by the government and charitable trusts and foundations. It is a way for them to redress the imbalance in the quality of life between the various class groups in the country where the rich pupils can afford the most expensive tuitions and other facilities while the poor have to make do with what little is available, if at all.

If the wealthy have a shortfall in funds to finance their children's education, it is THEY who can always apply for a loan.
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Another letter to The Star: Give poor deserving students a chance at higher education

Ethnic Indian Muslims Want To Be Called Malays!

A section of the ethnic Indian Muslim community living in Malaysia want to be known as Malays rather than Indians and have petitioned the government to streamline the laws accordingly.

Members of the Malaysian Indian Muslim Youth Movement (Gepima) want to be known as Malays and not Indians since the the country's constitution states that an Indian is a Malay “if he professes the Muslim religion, habitually speaks Malay and conforms to Malay custom”.

“I am a second generation Malaysian and I can safely say that from wedding rituals to the food we eat and the language we speak, we conform to Malay customs all the way,” said Gepima president Mohamed Kader Ali. (The Statesman)

***** Changing one's ethnicity by legislation is no real change at all. One must question the motive behind the petition and wonder if economic and other such materialistic reasons are behind the desire of this group of people to forsake their true ancestry for that of a totally different and unrelated one.

An Indian Muslim colleague of mine informs me that apart from those who are products of mixed marriages, broadly speaking 'Indian Muslims' here can be divided into three categories. The first group which consists of the majority of them, consider themselves Indians, are fiercely proud of that fact and speak their native tongue fluently, be it Tamil, Malayalam, Urdu etc. Despite being Muslims their worldview, cultural and traditional practices and diet are more akin to Indian Hindus and far removed from those of the Malays. They also maintain very close ties with their kith and kin in India.

The second group comprises the 'neo-Malay wannabes' who despite having all the characteristics of the first group, put up a convincing external appearance in terms of spoken language including impeccable Malay accents, food and even clothing to set them apart from other Indians. This group consists of both Muslims by birth and the converts.

The third group are the true 'Indian' Malays. These are people who have over centuries 'evolved' into Malays and are more at home in Malay settings than an Indian Muslim one.

While those in the third group are genuinely Malay, I suspect that some from the other two groups, especially the second are the ones hankering for change of their God given ethnicity.
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Malaysia Needs A Political Alternative To Change

Malaysia will hold general elections on 8 March, a moment to start dreaming again; dream about a country where the sun shines again for everyone, warming every citizen with equal respect, opportunities and privileges without favours for creed, race or rank, where everyone feels the richer for it, a Malaysia that cares for those in need and values the web of life.

Malaysians dream of a prime minister who believes that having these many races, indigenous peoples and religions and the country’s natural abundance of flora and fauna is Malaysia’s greatest resource and strength, and that everything must be done to let this diversity flourish, a place that is a cauldron of ideas, where alternative points of view are welcome and concerns of all kinds can be voiced. A Prime Minister who can give voice to this kind of vision and take meaningful action to achieve it would make news around the world every day!

Instead we are in the spotlight of global media because in our country Bibles are seized at airports, bookshops are raided for carrying books that depict prophets mentioned in other books, publications are warned against using the word ‘Allah’ or dead people are deemed to have converted to the state religion, leaving no choice of belief for their living relatives, mass demonstrations by ethnic minorities take place to express dissatisfaction and their leaders are put in prison without trial. Events like these make the country look rather puny in the eyes of the world.

Meanwhile, the quintessential Malaysia, cherished and dear to so many hearts, a natural wonderland of plants, animals and mystical landscapes, struggles to get out.

These general elections should put an end to the long season of complaining about what the government has done or failed to do. The government we get and the country we have, have much to do with the way we use our vote. From the very beginning, Malaysians have voted not to ‘rock the boat’ or even change its direction, justifying their vote for ‘more of the same’ as the price that must be paid for peace. With this prevailing mode of thought, we cannot imagine a Malaysia that has stable peace but is also great and grand, the envy of the civilised world.

When the electorate gives one party a two-thirds majority over and over again, what it is clearly signalling to that party is, “The way you govern us is just fine. Carry on as usual.” Regardless of how it performs, the government expects to be re-elected in the next elections, and if it hears complaints, they are masterfully dismissed as noise in the classroom.

Quite a few Malaysians are satisfied because all their dreams have been fulfilled. They have a fancy car or two in the porch, their children attend private school, all the work at home is done with paid help, their bank account has muscle and they feel free to worship piously.

This Malaysia of privileges comes at a price, paid by the increasing pain of the underclass and the environment. It is made possible by unequal opportunities and benefits for its citizens, underpaid migrant labour, unemployed locals and devastated natural habitats.

To begin to address these and other issues, the Malaysian voter must learn to support and nurture a variety of political parties.

Viable alternative parties will not only bring to light critical issues but like a true friend motivate the ruling party to be more vigilant, the media to be more honest and the judiciary to be fairer.

When the ruling party is powerful beyond all proportion, the media and judiciary, mindful of the need to please their one and only master, are rendered partial.

The media and judiciary have a vital role to play to keep democracy in good health. They provide checks and balances against the universal human tendency toward abuse when power is concentrated in the hands of the few.

A different Malaysia cannot happen overnight, but we can plant the seed by voting for “less of the same.” (AsiaNews.it, Italy)

***** If only every Malaysian could read this article and understand it. At least then they'll question if "more of the same" is what they really want.
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AP Interview: Election Chief Says Media Bias Will Make Malaysia Polls A Laughingstock

The Election Commission in Malaysia needs more power to prevent one-sided campaign coverage in local media or the entire electoral system will become a "laughingstock," the commission's chairman said Friday.

Top election official Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahim's comments appeared to lend rare support to opposition complaints of pro-government bias in the press.

"If you want free and fair elections, if you want a level playground ... you must be able to have that power to level that playground," Abdul Rahim, head of the Election Commission, said in an interview ahead of the March 8 general elections.

"Without that power, then the whole system becomes a laughingstock," he said. The commission must be able "to control the media when they take sides."

It is rare for any official connected with the electoral process to speak so candidly about the media bias. The comments are even more surprising coming from Abdul Rashid, who has been criticized by opposition parties for refusing to acknowledge that voting irregularities occur in the country.

"In an election you have to produce what is called an informed choice. That's the principle. People must know who is contesting so publicity must be given to all, not just one section. And there are media bodies that take only one side," he told The Associated Press.

The mainstream media in Malaysia are either government-owned or controlled by the parties in the ruling coalition. They also need annually renewable government licenses to operate. This has ensured that virtually every newspaper and television station broadcasts flattering reports of the government. The opposition rarely gets a good mention in the papers.

The Election Commission is supposed to be an independent body, whose members are appointed by the constitutional monarch. But it is largely seen as a pro-government panel that has done little to promote electoral fairness.

Abdul Rashid indicated his hands are tied, saying the commission is in charge only of the electoral rolls and the polling process and has no power to control other irregularities, including vote-buying.

The laws need to be changed to give the commission more muscle, he said.

"Our (electoral) laws have been there for 50 years. After 50 years, I feel there must be some kind of review," he said. "There must be a law ... put in place where the EC is seen to be in full control."

Despite his frank comments that will likely be welcomed by the opposition, Abdul Rashid insisted that the electoral process itself is free, fair and transparent.

He dismissed allegations that electoral rolls, which are vetted by the Election Commission, are filled with names of dead people and people living in other constituencies. These names are used by bogus voters deployed by the ruling party, critics say.

"That never happens here. It cannot happen because the process — the polling, the counting and so on — is so transparent," he said.

"Cheating has never been proven anywhere in this country," he said, adding that the few incidents of fraud that may have taken place have been so minor that they didn't affect election results.

***** Quite surprising that Rashid has openly spoken out about media fairness or rather the absence of it. Let's see how the government explains it away in the days to come.
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Egypt Rules Christian Convert Must Remain Legally Muslim

An Egyptian judge ruled this week in an unprecedented case that a Muslim who converted to Christianity cannot legally change his religious status, although he may believe what he wants in his heart.

Muhammad Hegazy, 25, lost his case on Tuesday when Judge Muhammad Husseini of a court in Cairo said according to sharia, or Islamic law, Islam is the final and most complete religion and therefore Muslims already practice full freedom of religion and cannot convert to an older belief (Christianity or Judaism), according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

“He (Hegazy) can believe whatever he wants in his heart, but on paper he can’t convert,” Husseini told the administrative court, according to a member of Hegazy’s legal team to Compass Direct.

Judge Husseini based his decision on Article II of the Egyptian constitution, which makes sharia the source of Egyptian law.

Hegazy has denounced the ruling as a “violation” of his basic rights.

“What does the state have to do with the religion I embrace?” Hegazy questioned, according to the United States Copts Association following the ruling.

The convert’s defense team was also disappointed with the verdict.

“The judge didn’t listen to our defense, and we didn’t even have a chance to talk before the court,” said Gamel Eid, head of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) to U.S. Copts Association.

Last August, Hegazy filed a historic case to seek official recognition for his conversion from Islam to Christianity. Because of persecution, converts to Christianity usually hide their new religious beliefs and only practice their faith secretly.

But Hegazy was the first convert to sue Egypt for rejecting his application to officially change his religion on his identification papers. He explained that his wife, who is also a Muslim convert to Christianity, was expecting a baby and wanted his daughter to be raised in an openly Christian environment.

In Egypt, a child’s registered religion is based on the father’s official faith. Therefore, since Hegazy is officially Muslim, his daughter would not be able to enroll in Christian religious classes at school, wed in a church, or attend church services openly without harassment under Egyptian law.

Hegazy and his wife, Zeinab, have gone into hiding since filing the case because of the numerous death threats they received, including one from Hegazy’s father if he does not return to Islam. While in hiding, Zeinab gave birth to their daughter on Jan. 10, according to CSW.

“We are dismayed at the decision of the judge to deny Muhammad Hegazy the right to change his religion,” said CSW’s chief executive Mervyn Thomas. “The Egyptian Constitution seemingly allows for religious freedom, and Egypt has ratified international human rights treaties which grant the individual the right to adopt a religion of their choice.”

“Yet this ruling highlights just how different the reality is for converts like Muhammad Hegazy. We urge the international community to call upon Egypt to uphold the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” he added.

An ANHRI representative said Hegazy still plans to appeal the ruling or possibly open a new case. Zeinab plans to also file a petition for her right to change her religion to Christianity.

***** Yup! We're not alone.
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Can Malaysia Judge Its Judges?

A Royal Commission appointed to probe questions of political favoritism in the appointment of some top judges is threatening to spin out of control and envelop the entire Malaysian judiciary in charges of deceit, corruption and factionalism. Fingers are also being pointed at some of the would-be reformers in the Malaysian Bar Association.

The commission was appointed by the government last year after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim made public an eight-minute segment of a 2002 videotape purporting to show a prominent lawyer discussing the appointment of top judges.

With Malaysia’s courts often accused of being under the thumb of the country’s political leaders, the commission’s work offers up a tantalizing look into how the judiciary may be compromised by intervention from on high. It remains to be seen if there is any real appetite to rattle the skeletons in the judicial closet, however.

VK Lingam, the lawyer on the tape, is seen in conversation with Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, then the country’s third-ranking judge who was in charge of most senior judges. The conversation seemed to indicate that Mahathir Mohamad, then the prime minister, was closely involved in the appointment of malleable judges. The videotape purports to show that some of Mahathir’s closest cronies, particularly gaming tycoon Vincent Tan, were involved as well. Ahmad Fairuz later became chief justice of the Supreme Court, now called the Federal Court.

However, Mahathir’s involvement has been largely pushed into the background as the case has gone well beyond Fairuz to reel in the names of other judges and attorneys, including some in the reform movement. The commission has widened its terms of reference to go well beyond the issue of a single lawyer – Lingam – discussing a limited number of judges to delve into wider allegations, including charges that the bar association is not above seeking favors itself.

A hearing by the commission turned into a free-for-all Monday when Lingam accused Robert Lazar, a lawyer representing the Malaysia Bar Council, of seeking Lingam’s help to become an appellate court judge, bypassing the lower courts. Lazar denied the charge.

Anwar, who made the original tape public on September 20, has not been asked to testify, adding to suspicions over its independence. In response, Anwar held a press conference Monday to release a five-minute continuation of the original 14-minute tape, showing more purported judicial chicanery.

Commission chairman Haidar Mohd Noor described Anwar’s revelation as “news” and questioned why he hadn’t forwarded the tape earlier. In a press statement, Anwar said that “the decision by the commission to arbitrarily disallow me to testify would certainly lead one to the conclusion that some unseen hand is at work. This hand is so powerful that the commission will stop at nothing to prevent me from giving evidence, even though the evidence concerned will definitely shed light on the testimony given so far. “

In one tape made public by the commission itself, Dzaiddin Abdullah, who served as chief justice between 2000 and 2003, is implicated for accepting gifts and payments from Lingam. In addition, as an example of the factionalism in the court, Dzaiddin was asked to explain yet another videotape, in which Lingam claimed that he hated his predecessor, Eusoff Chin, and that Chin had blocked his chances to become a candidate for state honors.

In the meantime, both Fairuz and Lingam have dodged all questions with a fusillade of excuses. Lingam has refused to acknowledged that it was his voice on tape although conceding that “it looks like me and sounds like me." In a kind of half admission that it could have been, he said he was “bullshitting and bragging,” and that “this is my house. I’m in the privacy of my home,” he was quoted as saying by local reporters. “I can talk rubbish in my own home.” On other occasions, he has said he might have been drunk when he made the call.

Fairuz has also denied he was the person that Lingam was speaking to when the tape was recorded. Both Lingam and Mahathir repeatedly told investigators they had no recollection of the events on the tapes.

In the instance involving Dzaiddin, Lingam was also said to have been videotaped by the son of a Chinese businessman alleging that he and Vincent Tan had given the former chief justice “the most expensive gift,” making it unlikely that Dzaiddin could “attack us.” Lingam also acknowledged meeting Eusoff Chin in New Zealand, saying that “people, see you know more, like Eusoff Chin, because I met him in New Zealand.”

Lingam said that when he argued with Dzaiddin in court, Dzaiddin was polite to him. “I have been sending cakes every Hari Raya (the feast day ending the Muslim fasting month). Vincent (Tan) has been sending. He can't go and say he is very clean, correct or not?”

In the latest clip, according to local media, Lingam also says he was close to the late Court of Appeal President Wan Adnan Wan Ismail and repeated how he had “helped” former Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz attain his position. “But he is sometimes a bit scared.” Lingam reportedly says on the tape. “I must play shadow from behind.”

“The whole inquiry puts the judiciary in absolute shame,” a senior lawyer told Asia Sentinel. “It’s all fault-finding and from hereon in the judiciary will continue its decline with no hope. This whole thing tarnishes lawyers and judges vis-à-vis the public.”

Malaysia’s judiciary has faced a long series of allegations over fairness and corruption. The independence of the court has been severely undermined since 1988 when Mahathir sacked the several top judges and effectively ended court autonomy.

The system largely remained under Mahathir’s control from that point onward. Some months ago, the Conference of Rulers, made up of the country’s nine sultans, stunned Prime Minister Badawi by refusing to ratify his candidate to become chief judge. The position remained vacant for several months. In addition, the Perak Sultan, Raja Azlan Shah, later made an unprecedented speech indirectly criticizing the judiciary.

Several recent cases, particularly the trial of three defendants for the brutal murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, have underscored the court’s problems. One of the defendants, Abdul Razak Baginda, is a close friend of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose name has surfaced during the trial but who has never been questioned. The case has droned on for seven months, raising suspicions that both prosecutors and defense would like to draw it out until it disappears. In addition, tycoon Eric Chia, a close friend of Mahathir’s, was abruptly acquitted last year of criminal breach of trust involving the scandal-tainted Perwaja Steel Corp. The judge summarily shut down the trial after the prosecution presented its case.

Prime Minister Badawi came to power in 2003 promising to clean up corruption and depoliticize the judiciary. So far, however, he has made little progress. The current panel cannot compel witnesses to testify or interview those implicated although it is questionable how far the probe would go in any case. (Asia Sentinel)

***** Can the judiciary recover from the disgrace it has become? Would the public accept unquestioningly the verdicts given by judges whose reputation have been so badly tarnished?

It is a sad time for all Malaysians that the judiciary, the one arm of government which they need very badly to check the excesses of a corrupt executive has been so severely compromised. Now to whom can we, the ordinary citizens, go to plead for justice and fair play?
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Reconciling Ancient Beliefs With Modern Technologies

Cairo: The woman stared in disbelief at the text message in her cellphone inbox.

She and her husband, an Egyptian army officer away on duty, had just hung up after quarrelling on the phone. She ignored his return call, not wanting to continue the argument, the woman recounted in an interview.

The electronic chirrup of an incoming message signalled his response. "I divorce you," her husband had written. "That will teach you not to answer my calls."

Reconciliation followed, only to be broken by another quarrel, this one over the woman asking her family to mediate the couple's problems. "I divorce you," her husband wrote in another message. "Don't ask other people to interfere in our business."

Another reconciliation. Another argument. And another declaration of divorce from her husband, this time face to face, late last year.

Islamic law can make the act of divorce stunningly simple for men, even if the ensuing financial settlements often are not. A husband has only to declare to his wife, "Enti talaq" - "You are divorced" - three times, and mean it, to end their marriage.

But technology has introduced a complication that Egyptian religious authorities are now debating in the case of the 25-year-old Cairene, an engineer and an observant Muslim: How should Islamic laws that began to take shape in the 6th century apply to 21st-century text messages?

In Malaysia, the UAE and Qatar, where some of the first text-message divorce cases have arisen in recent years, civil and religious officials have arrived at varying conclusions.

Until Egyptian courts and religious scholars decide the fate of the woman's marriage, she lives apart from the officer with their 4-year-old son, but still wears her wedding ring. She asked that her name not be used to protect her privacy, because such cases are so rare in Egypt.

"What hurts me most is I don't even know if I'm divorced or not," she said.

Judicial officials confirmed her identity and the facts of the case, initiated in family court in December. Court officials could not agree on whether the case was Egypt's first or second text-message divorce. They said the army officer had not yet appeared in court.

Islamic institutions have adroitly adopted evolving technology to spread their message and tend their followers. Preachers abound on satellite television channels. Many religious institutions and shaikhs offer websites that provide their followers with online fatwas, or rulings, on religious questions.

Egypt's state-appointed grand mufti, one of the country's highest religious authorities, recently began offering online imam training. Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa's fatwa website receives 3,000 hits a day, and a similar hotline gets scores of calls a day, according to his spokesman, Ebrahim Negm. Almost all the inquiries have to do with family matters, including divorce, he added.

Spreading the message

Yet the proliferation of televised preaching and Islamic websites has produced a confusing array of voices competing for followers. Broadcast and internet media can amplify hate or oversimplify a complex religious point. Technology offers modes of communication that the first practitioners of Islamic law never could have imagined.

Conservative and liberal streams within Islam each have used technology to get their messages across. In Egypt, young members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement used blogs last year to urge that the Islamic organisation be more inclusive of women and less exclusionary of other religions.

Islamic institutions have adopted websites and other technology as a tool to show that Islamic law still provides "pragmatic solutions to contemporary problems," Negm said. "We also believe there has been abuse of technology," he added. "This does not lead us to say, 'Forget it.' That would not be possible."

But text-message divorces represent "a clear-cut abuse of the law," Negm said.

Religious authorities in the UAE and Qatar upheld divorce by text message in rulings between 2001 and 2003. Islamic officials in Singapore rejected it.

Government officials in Malaysia decried the first cases, promising big fines for any man who tried to shed his wife by impersonal text messages. Malaysia's religious leaders upheld the legality of text-message divorce, and government talk of bans and fines ended.

For the 25-year-old engineer, text messages have made the costs impossibly high.

Her husband wants her back, the woman said, but the religious scholars she consulted tell her she is divorced in the eyes of God and would be returning to him out of wedlock.

But if she refuses to return, and the courts rule the text-message declarations invalid and her marriage intact, she risks losing her claim to her young son.

With the text messages, she said, "the doors of hell have opened on my life." (Gulf News)

Another, "Dead Person Is A Muslim" Controversy

Police yesterday took away the remains of a 74-year-old man from a Chinese funeral parlour near here after his eldest son claimed that the deceased was a Muslim.

Abdul Rahman Gan Abdullah, 47, who had embraced Islam several years ago, lodged a report at the Seremban 2 police station claiming that his father, Gan Eng Gor, had converted to Islam on July 3 last year and had taken the name Amir Gan Abdullah.

When met at the funeral parlour, one of Eng Gor’s eight other children, Hock Sin, said the family was shocked to hear of this.

“When my father died this morning in Klang, I called to inform Abdul Rahman as he was the eldest. The entire family is shocked at his claim.

“We have been practising Buddhists all our lives. How is it that none of us, including my mother who has been looking after my sick father for the past two years, has no knowledge of this?” asked Hock Sin.

Temiang assemblyman Datuk Tiger Lee Yuen Fong and Rahang asemblyman Datuk Yip Chee Kiong, who were at the funeral parlour, appealed to all parties to remain calm and allow the authorities to assess the situation.

They also spoke with Eng Gor’s widow, Chua Chun, 65.

Hock Sin said it was not possible for his father to have embraced Islam as he had been bedridden for the past two years after suffering a stroke.

“He could not talk, so how was it possible that he converted?”

State Islamic Affairs assistant director Mohd Yusof Tahir, who arrived at the funeral parlour later, produced copies of a certificate and a card from the department which stated that Eng Gor had embraced Islam on July 3 last year.

Abdul Rahman was not present.

Speaking to reporters later, Mohd Yusof said the matter would be heard before the Syariah Court today.

Lee told reporters that the MCA would help appoint a counsel for the aggrieved family.

Eng Gor’s remains are being kept at the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital mortuary. (The Star)

***** The increasing number of cases of super-secret 'embracing' of Islam which often come to light only after the death of those who 'have seen the light' is indeed a worrying phenomena. Why should anyone indulge in this sort of subterfuge? In this particular case it is perplexing that an aged person who has suffered a stroke and has been unable to speak or exercise total control over his intellectual faculties for nearly two years, could have so furtively 'converted' to Islam six months ago and that too without the prior knowledge of his family members who have been taking care of him all this while! Something wrong somewhere.
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Vatican Slams Harry Potter As 'Wrong Kind Of Hero'

The Vatican has slammed JK Rowling's Harry Potter as 'the wrong kind of hero' who poses a danger to children across the world.

In a damning article, the Vatican's official newspaper 'L'Osservatore Romano' has condemned the popular teenage boy wizard for promoting witchcraft and the occult -- the Church's latest view on the Potter series.

Under the headline 'The Double Face of Harry Potter', the article by an expert in English literature says: "Despite the values that we come across in the narration, at the base of this story, witchcraft is proposed as a positive ideal.

"The violent manipulation of things and people comes thanks to knowledge of the occult. The ends justify the means because the knowledgeable, the chosen ones, the intellectuals know how to control the dark powers and turn them into good."

"This is a grave and deep lie, because it is the old Gnostic temptation of confusing salvation and truth with a secret knowledge. The characterisation of common men who do not know magic as 'muggles' who know nothing other than bad and wicked things is a truly diabolical attitude."

The writer, Professor Edoardo Rialti of Florence University, has also tried to establish a parallel between the 'fantasy masterpieces' -- CS Lewis's 'Chronicles of Narnia' and JRR Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' -- with Potter, according to 'The Daily Telegraph'.

He argues that other than 'superficially apparent common points', there's nothing similar between the books.

While the works of Tolkien and Lewis show 'a transcendence and the beauty of the infinite', he claims Harry Potter books have an 'inverted and confused spirituality: A world where bad is good' and that they are characterised by a 'vague, new-age philosophy'.

A spokesman for JK Rowling has, however, declined to comment. (DNA)
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Women's Right To Boycott Sexist YBs

Suhakam Vice-Chairman Tan Sri Simon Sipaun said we are living in a democracy and the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) is free to make its stand as a pressure group in urging the public not to vote for Members of Parliament (MPs) who make sexist remarks and asking political parties not to field them as candidates.

"The group can put their case forward but whether the Government is going to listen to them is another issue. Political parties concerned will have to consider whether there is a basis for the women's call," he said.

Sipaun, however, conceded that remarks made by two Barisan Nasional MPs linking a leaking roof to an Opposition MP's menstruation were uncalled-for.

"As far as I am concerned, we must look at a fellow MP as a human being, regardless of whether she is from the Government or Opposition. Our perception should not be based on gender."

Several Sabah women groups and leaders have expressed their support for JAG's move. JAG is an umbrella coalition of several women organisations - All Women's Action Society (Awam), Sisters in Islam, Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), Pusat Janadaya, Women's Development Collective (WDC) and Women's Centre for Change (WCC).

President of the Sabah Bumiputera Chamber of Commerce (SBCC), Datuk Hj Ahmad Ali Abdul Aziz Lope is confident that the country's leadership will select people of good morals and who have the capacity to serve the nation as candidates for the impending election.

"As far as I am concerned, we want elected representatives who are capable and have the people's interests at heart, and can deliver the goods, irrespective of whether they are men or women. That is most important. I always feel that Malaysians should not play with gender issues. Just don't talk about senseless things like 'skirts'," he said.

LDP Secretary-General Teo Chee Kang said Malaysian People's Representatives should be conscious of the fact that it was because of the support of both male and female voters that they were elected. "It is most ungrateful of them to injure the feelings of the opposite sex by uttering sexist remarks in furtherance of personal agenda best known to them."

Teo, a lawyer, recalled that Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had in his maiden speech as Prime Minister in Parliament stressed that first-world infrastructure must go hand in hand with a first-class mentality. "Therefore, if we want a first-world Parliament, we should not leave sexism and male chauvinism unchecked in Parliament. We should nip the problem in the bud before it goes beyond control."

While saying it is the right of JAG to ask political parties not to field sexist MPs as candidates, PBS Information Chief Johnny Mositun said, at the end of the day, it is the prerogative of the BN top leadership to decide whether they should be re-nominated as candidates.

"I understand the sensitivities of womenfolk in the country. But the MPs concerned have already tendered their apologies. However, if the leadership considers the women's petition and decides to drop the MPs from the candidates' list, then I would think it is indeed a bold decision."

President of the Federation of Sabah Manufacturers (FSM), Datuk Wong Khen Thau stressed that every human being, be it a man or a woman, should be accorded due respect.

Speaking in his personal capacity, he said: "Basically, if we don't respect others, we cannot expect others to respect us. So, those who are disrespectful don't deserve to be respected." He, however, refrained from urging the public not to vote for sexist YBs. "I leave it to them to decide."

Chairperson of Malaysian Nature Society-Sabah, Omar Abdul Kadir suggested that the sexist YBs be given a second chance. "They should have learned their lesson by now and hopefully, they will be more cautious in future, especially in an august house such as Parliament. Let us respect our mothers, sisters, sisters-in-law, wives and daughters."

Meanwhile, he concurred with the President of the Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa), Datuk Susanna Jayasuriya that the Government must give emphasis to environmental issues.

"I hope the incoming elected representatives in the country will do away with sexism but pay more attention to issues like climate change. Malaysia is no exception and we are affected by global warming. It is imperative that we do something about it."

Professional counsellor Dr William Liew supports the call to stop making sexist remarks in Parliament. He said it is shameful to make derogatory remarks aimed at another gender. "Stop making fun of another gender. Stop hurting others. We need to respect a fellow human being. But before we can do that, we must respect ourselves first, whether we are politicians, professionals, non-professionals or ordinary citizens. This is the basic principle of human relationship in all areas of activity." (Daily Express, Sabah)

***** Boycotting these uncouth bastards is the only logical thing to do. However the first step is to categorically let it be known to the leadership of BN especially Umno that they should refrain from proposing these lowlife or be prepared to face the consequences. If the political parties still persist in nominating them, which I think they will, then JAG should harness every and all resources available to them to ensure the defeat of not only these loudmouths but all the others, especially women MPs who sat through silently when their sisters were being humiliated in Parliament.
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Why Malaysia Is Ranked The Worst Country In The World For Protecting Your Private Information

Privacy International (PI) a London-based international watchdog, in its survey of 47 countries gave Malaysia's protection of privacy rights the lowest ranking in the world along with Russia and China. The 2007 rankings indicate an overall worsening of privacy protection across the world, reflecting an increase in surveillance and a declining performance on privacy safeguards.

The US performed worst among democratic countries in terms of "statutory protection and privacy enforcement". The UK is billed as "an endemic surveillance society" and is at the bottom of the league.

Canada heads the international table, with Argentina, Iceland and Switzerland close behind.

Malaysia is bottom, with a score marginally lower than Britain's.

If you're wondering why we have been rated as the worst of the worst, then read the detailed report from Privacy International published below.

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Constitutional Privacy Framework

The Constitution of Malaysia does not specifically recognize a right to privacy, but does provide a conclusive list of fundamental rights, including freedom of assembly, speech and movement. This restrictive list of rights is due to the fact that, at the time of the drafting of the Constitution in 1956, the objective was to create a balance in maintaining a homogeneous nation embodying multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-cultural people under a common flag, and to destroy the imminent threat of Communist influence that was prevalent at the time. Proceeding from such a foundation, which emphasizes state security vis-à-vis combating communism, the government has circumscribed these rights by law or practice, increasingly so in the name of anti-terrorism.

Data Protection Framework

A Personal Data Protection Bill has been repeatedly introduced to the Malaysian Parliament since 1998. To date, the Act has yet to be adopted. However, Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin, the Deputy Finance Minister, has promised passage of the bill in 2008. Proponents believe that the Act will provide increased confidence for online transactions by protecting individuals' data privacy.

Wiretapping and Surveillance Rules

The most controversial of Malaysia's laws remains the Internal Security Act (ISA), which was enacted in the 1960s in response to Communist insurgency. In the past, the ISA has been used to suppress both political opposition and peaceful dissent. Since 2001, the law has been used primarily against suspected Islamic militants and individuals suspected of counterfeiting and forgery. The ISA allows police to enter and search the homes of persons suspected of threatening national security without a warrant; police may also seize evidence. The lack of independent judicial oversight is the most fervent criticism of the ISA. Judicial review of arrests under the ISA is limited to questions of procedure; at no point are authorities required to produce either evidence or detailed charges. Police regularly use the ISA to search homes and offices, seize books and papers, monitor conversations, and take persons into custody without a warrant. Persons arrested under the ISA as potential threats to national security or public order can be held for up to 60 days without being charged. However, the internal security minister may extend the detention for up to two years, renewable indefinitely. Those individuals released before the end of their detention period may face "imposed restricted conditions." However, the ISA does require that detainees are informed of the accusations against them, and that they are allowed to appeal to an advisory board every six months.

The government does not disclose the number of people so held, but in August of 2006, the Abolish ISA Movement estimated that there were 97 people in detention under ISA. They also reported that 11 detainees had been released in 2006. Although most of these individuals are allegedly connected to Islamic terrorist groups, but the use of the phrases "terrorist threat" and "terrorist" have increased markedly since September 11, 2001, and is now used to describe a litany of individuals or actions that previously would not have been so classified. The ISA does not provide precise definitions or criteria for determining whether an individual poses a threat. The Malaysian government has yet to offer public evidence against any of the detainees held under allegations of terrorism or bring them to trial. Many alleged terrorists are connected to political opposition parties. The ISA has been used in the past to intimidate and restrict political dissent.

Prior to September 11, 2001, there had been much public pressure – both from inside and outside the country – to repeal the ISA in favor of a more constrained security law, but the government has taken no action and is now unlikely to do so. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who took office in October 2003, has begun to remedy some of the abuses under the ISA. In 2004, Abdullah provided journalists with access to the notorious Kamunting Detention Center where ISA detainees are held. Further, the government announced that the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, Suhakam, could investigate allegations of abuse at short-term detention centers where detainees are held before they are sent to Kamunting. In 2006, the government periodically allowed Suhakam officials to visit various immigration detention camps and prisons. However, the government continues to bar the independent monitoring or investigation of Kamunting.

The government has also detained 700 people for alleged criminal activity indefinitely under the Emergency Ordinance. The Ordinance was enacted in 1969 as a temporary means to deal with race riots. Government officials have admitted that the Emergency Ordinance is used when insufficient evidence exists to charge individuals. Under the law, detainees may not challenge the merits of their arrest.

Other laws with implications for privacy include the Anti-Corruption Act, the Companies Act, and the Penal Code. The Anti-Corruption Act empowers the Attorney General to authorize the interception of any messages sent or received through any means of communication and wiretapping of telephones in corruption investigations. Information obtained in this manner is admissible evidence in a corruption trial. The Companies Act grants the Registrar of Companies broad powers to block or disband organizations deemed prejudicial to national security or the national interest. This authority has been used to prevent international human rights organizations from establishing domestic operations. Section 509 of the Penal Code provides criminal penalties for insulting "the modesty of any person" or "intruding upon the privacy of [any] person" by uttering any word, sound or gesture, or exhibiting any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen by such person. A new anti-terrorism amendment to the Penal Code gives the government broader authority to secretly install surveillance devices on private property.

Most government agencies plan to implement Oracle Corporation’s citizen data hub. This database would include information on individuals including background, educational achievements, and health records. Proponents argue that that the database will allow government agencies to create and maintain a comprehensive, accurate citizen data repository for better decision making, improved response times, and better citizen services.

In 2005, the government began implementing a biometric system to keep a record of foreigners in the country. It is now fully operational at every immigration depot in the country. The program is intended to detect illegal immigrants and foreign workers entering and leaving Malaysia. Proponents believe it is more secure than passports that can be altered or forged. Those with a criminal record are not admitted into the country. The Home Affairs Minister has also reported that a biometric system will record the fingerprints, photographs, and background of foreigners being held at temporary detention camps throughout the country.There are currently 1.9 million foreign workers in Malaysia.

People found to be in Malaysia illegally face a mandatory charge of five years imprisonment and six strokes of the cane under the Immigration Act. The Rela, a volunteer civilian army, has been authorized by the government to question and arrest undocumented immigrants. In February, the bodies of five immigrants were found after a Rela raid, and members of Rela also clubbed and detained 60 migrant workers from India.

The government decided in 2004 to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in major cities with the purpose of curbing snatch thefts. Local councils installed the cameras in public spaces such as bridges, light rail transportation or bus stations, night markets and dark lanes. CCTV systems are connected to district police stations where images are monitored. Additional CCTVs were installed at KL International Airport (KLIA) in 2006. The Internal Security Ministry reported in 2004 that the installation of CCTVs has proven effective – Kuala Lumpur had a 50 percent drop in snatch thefts, while the country as a whole saw a 26.2 percent drop. Additional temporary cameras are being installed in less populated areas to help with traffic problems and to control crime. (The then) Bar Council chairman Khutubul Zaman Bukhari has expressed his view that there is no need to incorporate privacy safeguards for the use of CCTV in Malaysia’s proposed Personal Data Protection Act, as long as the images recorded "are used for the sole purpose of preventing criminal acts."

Some critics assert that CCTV could be used not only against snatch thieves but also to spot and nab courting couples caught on camera displaying affection in public, which is not allowed in Malaysian society. For a period of time, the state of Malacca recruited peepers, vulgarly referred to as mat skodeng, to spy on young people to stop the moral deterioration of youth. This effort has since been called off. In 2004, a couple in Kuala Lumpur were arrested and charged with disorderly behavior for passionately embracing in a park. Although the case has yet to be decided, in 2006, the federal court denied a challenge to the charges.

National Identity Card

Malaysians generally have the right to travel, live, and work where they please; however, the government restricts these rights in some circumstances. The eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak have the right to control immigration and to require citizens from peninsular Malaysia and foreigners to present passports or national identity cards for entry. The adoption of a national identity smart card makes tracking citizens easier.

Malaysia was one of the first countries in the world to use a chip-based identification card that is also a multipurpose smart card. Since 1999, the Malaysian government has been gradually phasing in a multipurpose national identity smart card. The card, known as "MyKad," incorporates both photo identification and fingerprint biometric technology. MyKad currently has seven functions other than identification: driver's license, passport information, health information, e-cash function (referred to as electronic purse, or e-purse), toll payment (or Touch 'n Go), automated teller machine, and public key infrastructure.

MyKad is currently optional, but it automatically replaces other forms of expired identification and is quickly becoming a de facto requirement to access certain government and private-sector services. No official documents can be signed without a MyKad card, and individuals may not apply for licenses without one. In December 1998, the government began requiring cybercafés to obtain name, address, and identity card information from patrons. However it lifted this requirement in March 1999. In some cases there may be penalties for not carrying the card. In addition, individuals who lose their cards are now subject to fines. At this time, approximately 1000 MyKad cards are reported missing each day.

In 1998, the government announced that people not carrying identification cards risk being detained by immigration authorities. It is the government's intention that all Malaysians over the age of 12 be registered in the MyKad system. As of May 31, 2007, only 381,978 Malaysians were still unregistered. In the past, many people expressed discomfort with the all-in-one feature of MyKad. Those under the age of 12 are encouraged to apply for a junior version of the MyKad, the "MyKid," which differs only in its lack of a photograph and thumbprint biometric. In addition, every baby born in 2003 or later is provided with MyKad as a "lifelong identification document and a personal database."

The Malaysian government originally proposed placing the religious affiliation of all citizens on the MyKad, but complaints from the country's non-Muslim ethnic groups prompted the government to limit such identification to Muslims only. In January 1999, it was announced that Islamic religious authorities in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, would be equipped with portable card readers in order to instantly verify the vows of Muslim couples found in "close proximity." In 2002, the Prime Minister proposed adding marital status and voting constituency information to the cards for the benefit of religious authorities and to minimize electoral fraud, respectively. Both proposals were sharply criticized by opposition Member of Parliament Teresa Kok as being an unnecessary invasion of privacy. The anonymity of balloting is already a matter of concern for privacy advocates, even without MyKad. Traditional ballots are marked with a serial number that can be matched against a voter's name. While there is no evidence that the government has ever tracked individual votes, some opposition leaders allege that the potential to do so has had a chilling effect on some voters, particularly civil servants.

With so much personal information stored on the MyKad, even proponents of the card have acknowledged inherent privacy risks: "[h]aving the smart card will probably increase theft . . . because the attraction is there. There is a lot of personal information stored [on the card], including buying patterns which would attract (card cloning) syndicates," according to industry analyst Jafizwaty Ishahak. It is widely known that anyone with a card reader can access all information contained in the MyKad. Almost 2.1 million cases of lost or stolen MyKad cards have been reported since the program’s inception.

The success of the Malaysian MyKad program is the driving force behind a proposed regional ID card for the 10 Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). In 2001, the group agreed to develop an ASEAN smart card to allow free movement for individuals within the members’ countries. The planned target date is 2009.

Freedom of Information

Rights pertaining to freedom of information do not exist in Malaysia. Due to the absence of this right, the government has sometimes directly restricted the release of information deemed embarrassing or prejudicial to national interests. For example, the government has had a policy of prohibiting public disclosure of air pollution readings and deaths due to dengue fever.

Activist groups are advocating adoption of Freedom of Information (FOI) laws in Malaysia. A National Seminar on Freedom of Information Legislation was held in Kuala Lumpur in September 2004. Legal experts, NGOs, journalists, and FOI specialists have built a coalition to promote FOI legislation in Malaysia. The groups also recommend that all secrecy provisions in other laws should be reviewed, and amended or repealed if necessary. The Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) reported that in 2007, Malaysians enjoyed less freedom of information than any of their neighbor countries.[62] The group also reported that in 2006, four newspapers were banned. WAMI seeks adoption of a FOI Act, and they also seek reform or repeal of the Official Secrets Act, the Internal Security Act, the Printing Presses and Publications Act, the Sedition Act, and the Communications and Multimedia Act.

International Commitments

Since September 11, 2001, Malaysia's relationship with the United States has changed dramatically. Prior to the attacks, the US had been publicly critical of Malaysia's human rights record and its misuse of the ISA. Since the attacks, "Malaysia has cooperated extensively with the US in counter-terrorism efforts, regularly sharing intelligence information and offering access to ISA prisoners for interrogations." Together, the countries established the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counter Terrorism in Malaysia in 2003. The US has provided assistance and training for the center.

Malaysia is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is comprised of 10 nations. In 2004, this body assumed a more prominent role in regional affairs, "providing a forum for member states to discuss increased cooperation and information sharing on security issues." However, ASEAN has not made human rights a priority and has failed to speak out on issues including Malaysia's denial of due process to ISA detainees.

Malaysia is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Community, and has participated in the Electronic Commerce Steering Group‘s Data Privacy Subgroup since 2003. The Privacy Subgroup developed the APEC Privacy Framework, which outlines nine privacy principles including the prevention of harm, notice, collection limitation, uses of personal information, choice, integrity of personal information, security safeguards, access and correction, and accountability. APEC adopted the Privacy Framework in 2004, and member countries’ endorsement of the Framework means that they will continue efforts to develop a "consistent approach to information privacy protection across APEC member economies, while also avoiding the creation of unnecessary barriers to information flows."

The Asia Pacific Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (APCAUCE), which includes member groups from Australia, Hong Kong, China, India, Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand, held a Net Abuse Workshop in Kuala Lumpur in February 2004, a July 2004 workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal, and a 2005 workshop in Kyoto, Japan. The Malaysian government does not support national legislation on unsolicited commercial e-mail, or spam, but instead favors consumer education and action by Internet service providers (ISPs).

Malaysia is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but the legislation that created the National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) restricts the application of the Declaration to those "fundamental liberties provided for" in the Constitution and to those provisions consistent with the Constitution. In 1999, prior to Suhakam's creation, opposition leaders and NGOs, including the Bar Council, criticized the definition of human rights as too narrow.
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