Al-Islam Apologises To Christians. Catholic Church -: 1; Umno, Attorney General -: 0

From today's The Star:

The Al-Islam magazine has apologised to the Roman Catholic Church and Christians for publishing a special report which involved the desecration of a religious rite.

The apology was posted on the website of its publisher, Utusan Karya.

The controversy began after the magazine published a report, Tinjauan Al-Islam Dalam Gereja: Mencari Kesahihan Remaja Melayu Murtad in its May 2009 edition

In the apology, Al-Islam said it had “unintentionally hurt the feelings of Christians especially Catholics” with its report.

It said in a three-paragraph statement that the report was to investigate allegations of apostasy and the actions of its journalists were never intended to deride the Christian faith nor desecrate their house of worship.

The magazine also stated that the apology would be published in next month’s print publication.

Two reporters from the magazine attended and participated in the religious rite.

They admitted to receiving Holy Communion and actually spitting the wafer out, an act Catholics consider desecration.

After police reports were lodged against the journalists and the magazine, they were investigated under Section 298A (1) of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion.

However earlier this week, it was announced that the Attorney-General had decided not to pursue the case because of “public pressure.”

Speaking on behalf of Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam, Catholic Lawyers’ Society Vice President Joy Appukuttan said Pakiam expressed his happiness over the move by the magazine to apologise.

***** It is indeed a magnanimous gesture by the Roman Catholic Church to have so quickly accepted the 'apology' by Al-Islam. While the so-called apology came across as contrived, insincere and probably given under pressure by Umno bigwigs, the happiness expressed by the Archbishop shows that the Church believes it's time to put and end to this unfortunate fiasco and move on. This is definitely a big win for not only the Catholics and Christians but also for those of all faiths who believe in equitable and fair justice.

However Umno, its leaders and the Attorney General come out of this mess of their own creation looking very, very bad. They have been exposed as desperadoes who will go to any length and lie to any extent to justify the unjustifiable. The Attorney General's attempt in particular to explain why no action was taken against the two fanatic culprits will rank for a long time as the most egregious decision by a legal officer in our country's history. By right he should resign in shame. But then again he and his ilk have either never heard of or believed in words such as shame, accountability or resign. These people are the real pengkhianat whom Malaysians should condemn and shun.

Racist Ignoramus Nasir Safar's Political Future Will Reveal Najib's True Intentions

By now the buzz naturally is the racism filled tirade by the psychiatrically predisposed(?) Datuk Nasir Safar, (the ugly bloke's pic is above) special officer to the prime minister. So filled with racist venom is this man, that he with such stupidity, spat it with a violence normally associated with cobras, of all places at a mulitracial gathering, a '1 Malaysia' seminar in Malacca! It certainly raises doubts about the state of his mind when he threw caution and common sense into the tong sampah and gave a lecture, which by past experience should have been reserved for a meeting of the wingnuts in Umno along with the currently in vogue Perkasa and assorted inferiority complex laden loonies or at an 'exclusive' BTN taklimat.

What is with Malacca that makes these crazies flip? On 15th October 2007 the other racist dunderhead, Malacca CM Mohd Ali Rustam spoke at a mulitracial convention of the PPP in the historic town where he basically told the delegates that Umno does not need non-Malays to govern the country! He declared that his party has ruled Malaysia for 50 years, they can rule for another 50 years more. And Umno does not need PPP, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, Sabah, Sarawak or anyone else to do this and that they can take a hike. That Umno got drubbed five months after his speech in the March 2008 GE shows the disconnect between his racist logic and the reality on the ground. Yet Umno delegates in the last party elections overwhelmingly supported him and would have voted for this fellow, making him our next deputy PM if only he was not suspended for election fraud! Not that Muhyiddin is any better.

But I digress. Within hours of Nasir Safar's ill-fated speech the heat became too much to bear and the poor sod had to resign, presumably only after being ordered to do so by Najib, because I'm sure in his tiny little racist mind Nasir probably felt he had done no wrong. In fact some others at the PM's office felt the same too. For example read this interesting bit from Bernama -- "The remarks allegedly made by Nasir does not in any way reflect the views of the Prime Minister. Datuk Nasir never intended to make any derogatory remarks. He spoke at length on the contributions made by all races in developing the country. Nevertheless, Nasir apologises for any offence caused. In light of this, Datuk Nasir will tender his resignation." A bloody cold and heartless statement. No sign of remorse or disappointment and not even an acknowledgement that the 'special officer' had drastically crossed the line of decent discourse. The crux of that PM's office bullshit is "well, Nasir did not do any wrong, in fact he's a decent chap who actually even praised the non-Malays, has no malice towards them even if he may have said a few harsh words although that was not his intention. In any case if you non-Malays out there have 'misconstrued' his good intentions, he says he's sorry and quits. By the way Nasir's speech does not reflect the PM's views." Haa!

If Najib seriously considers his special officer's act as a very wrong thing to do, then he should put Nasir permanently to pasture. But I doubt that very much and I hope that someone who can, should keep track of Nasir Safar's future from now on. There is every chance that over the next few weeks or months he'll quietly surface not far from the centre of power, perhaps even more strong and respected by his peers. You see what Nasir Safar so foolishly blurted out in Malacca has much resonance not only within Umno but also amongst a significant portion of the general Malay populace because of the party's unrelenting racist propaganda through its media machine including Utusan Malaysia and government apparatus such as BTN. In fact his speech may serve to provide much needed galvanizing power for Umno vis a vis the Malay public.

Nasir Safar will be rewarded by Najib et al because in the convoluted mind and perverse logic of Umno style racism, he is a Wira Bangsa like Mohd Ali Rustam, provided he doesn't get too big for his Bata slippers. In what form and shape that reward will come is something for us to wait and watch. Only then will we know the true intent of Najib's 1Malaysia propaganda. And please don't forget that by his racist outbursts Nasir has at least temporarily shifted the focus from other issues dogging Najib such as the Allah controversy. That should please the PM for a while. Also do remember that even if by a very rare pang of conscience Najib were to allow Nasir to drift to Gilligan's Island, there is always good old Muhyiddin who may with undisguised glee throw him a lifeline and keep him in good humour along with other like-minded comrades in arms, while waiting for the opportune moment to make his own strike.

Height Of Optimism - Golden Chance For BN To Win In Permatang Pauh, Says Muhyiddin!

The upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election is a golden opportunity for Barisan Nasional to wrest the parliamentary seat from PKR, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Umno vice-president said the election could also be an opportunity for Barisan to regain the people's confidence, especially voters in the parliamentary constituency.

"We hope voters in the area would not be influenced by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who may use the campaign to garner sympathy over the sodomy allegation.

"Barisan leaders have expected that his wife (Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah) would vacate her seat to enable Anwar to contest the Permatang Pauh seat," he told reporters in Pagoh on Friday. (Read the whole story HERE)

***** The golden chance in fact was in 2004 and even then BN could not take the seat. So what is silly little Muhyiddin blabbering about now? Umno should be glad if its candidate doesn't get hammered by a five-figure loss in the coming by-election.
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From Bernama: No Easy Victory For Anwar In By-election, Predicts Previous BN Candidate

School Uniform 'Sexy', Says Malaysian Islamic Students Group!

A Malaysian group condemned the uniform worn by girls at government schools, saying it encouraged rape and pre-marital sex.

“The white blouse is too transparent for girls and it becomes a source of attraction,” National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia vice-president Munirah Bahari said in a statement.

“It becomes a distraction to men, who are drawn to it, whether or not they like looking at it,” she said, calling for a review of uniform policy so that it did not violate Islamic ideals.

In multicultural Malaysia, home to majority-Muslim Malays as well as ethnic Chinese and Indians, female students at government schools have a choice of wearing a white blouse with a knee-length skirt or pinafore.

They may also wear a “baju kurung” and a headscarf is optional for Malay students.

Munirah said that “covering up” according to Islamic precepts was important to fend off social ills, including “rape, sexual harassment and even premarital sex.”

“This leads to babies born out of wedlock and, to an extent, even prostitution,” she said.

“Decent clothes which are not revealing can prevent and protect women from any untoward situations,” she said, suggesting that girls wear a blouse of a different colour or with an undergarment.

However, the girls themselves also came in for criticism, with the association saying that some used the white blouse to lure men.

“This is the source of the problem, where we can see that schoolgirls themselves are capable of using this to attract men to them,” Munirah said.

“This could see them getting molested, having premarital sex and all sorts of things.”

***** First reaction on Cik Munirah's diatribe? How did such a colossal nitwit ever make it to varsity? She has some very misplaced ideas about schoolgirls in general. Perhaps she's sexually over-obsessed, psychiatrically predisposed or plain stupid. Take your pick.

Britons Waste Food Worth £10 Billion A Year!

The cost of wasted food in UK households is £10 billion a year, nearly two billion pounds higher than previously estimated, according to a new research by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The research gives detailed new insights into the nature and amount of food waste thrown away in the UK and is believed to be the most comprehensive study of its kind ever carried out.

The research found that salad, fruit and bread were most commonly wasted and 60 per cent of all dumped food was untouched. It revealed that the average household throws out £420 of good food a year. For the average family with children it is higher at £610. Researchers also found that more than half the good food thrown out, worth £6 billion a year, is bought and simply left unused or untouched.

Environment Minister Joan Ruddock said: “These findings are staggering in their own right, but at a time when global food shortages are in the headlines this kind of wastefulness becomes even more shocking”.

For example, each day 1.3 million unopened yoghurt pots, 5,500 whole chickens and 440,000 ready meals are thrown away in the UK.

The study revealed that one billion pounds worth of wasted food is still “in date” (not expired).

It costs local authorities one billion pounds a year to dispose of food waste.

***** What a monumental waste of resources. At least we in Malaysia are not that bad.

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

An Elf & Some Monkeys Stir Shit In Perak

An elf by the name of Elfi Mat Noor led a group calling itself "Suara Rakyat Perak" (Voice of the People of Perak) Sunday and handed over a memorandum to Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak objecting to a statement by DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang which called on DAP assemblymen in the state to boycott the swearing-in of the Menteri Besar, reports Bernama.

Lim had on Thursday instructed all 18 DAP assemblymen in Perak not to attend the swearing-in of the menteri besar that was to be held on Friday. However, due to certain developments the ceremony was postponed.

Also on Friday, Lim made an apology to Sultan Azlan Shah and the Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah and explained that it was not meant to question Sultan Azlan Shah and Raja Nazrin both whom he said he (Lim) held in high regard.

The group's spokesman Elfi Mat Noor said the memorandum was received by Raja Di Hilir Perak, Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa, who represented the Sultan, at Istana Kinta at 9am.

"In it we stated our undivided support for the royal institution in Perak and our exception to the statement made by Lim Kit Siang," he told reporters.

The group had earlier held a peaceful protest at the Ipoh Padang here.

***** It is this type of silly stunt done without thinking, among other things that made the people sick and tired of Umno-types in the first place. Obviously the mischievous elf along with his ragtag group of Umno no-hopers tried to capitalise on what occurred a few days ago and for which Mr Kit Siang had already apologised to the Royal family.

If at all any action is to be taken, His Royal Highness should tick off rank opportunists like the elf for attempting to involve the palace in a non-issue. They should be firmly told not to make a mountain where even a molehill doesn't exist.

Score: PKR-DAP-PAS - 1, Umno - 0.
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Penang Mamak Fights For NEP, Lodges Police Report Against Guan Eng

A lawyer lodged a police report against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng over his statement that he would run the state administration free of the New Economic Policy (NEP).

Abu Backer Sidek Mohamad Zan, 40, lodged the report at the Jalan Patani police station.

He told reporters that in his statement he had asked the police to investigate Lim under the Sedition Act and to take action against Lim if he continued to make seditious and racist statements.

“I believe that the statement is seditious, racist, irresponsible and may endanger public peace and national security,” he said. (The Star)

***** First of all how does the NEP affect this person with an obviously Mamak name? Either he has been masquerading as a Malay and enjoying privileges under the NEP that he is not entitled to, wants to show that he is more Malay than 'real' Malays for future personal gains or he is a proxy for more sinister forces. Or perhaps he's a lawyer with a conscience!
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Malaysian Opposition Split Averted As Chinese Party Backs Down In Dispute With Islamists

SILLY MISTAKE
Malaysia's Chinese-based opposition party, DAP says it will allow an Islamic party to head the government in a northern state where their opposition alliance won elections.

The decision averts a split in Malaysia's opposition coalition.

The Democratic Action Party had threatened to boycott a ceremony Thursday afternoon to install a member of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party as the chief minister of Perak state.

But DAP officials said Thursday party legislators would attend the ceremony. In an apparent reversal of his earlier statement, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang apologized for offending legislators by ordering them to boycott the installation. (PR-Inside.Com)

***** Due to this one silly decision made by Mr Lim Kit Siang yesterday, his popularity and credibility went from sky high to almost zero overnight. He has been blasted from all sides and on the internet he has been humiliatingly castigated by all and sundry. Even in his own blog the majority of commenters who usually agree with his views have this time begged to differ.

I'm sure that by now he must have realised that the old ways aren't going to work in this new era of Malaysian politics. One is never too old to learn and this is a lesson that he should commit to memory and ensure that such a situation doesn't recur in the future.

It would be a real shame if after forty-plus years spent fighting for the betterment of the country he should be considered as the biggest impediment to national unity.
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Pakistani Faces 4 Years In Jail For Cutting Sikh's Hair

An 18-year-old Pakistani has been convicted of hate crime charges by a jury for forcibly cutting a Sikh student's hair in a US school.

Umair Ahmed faces up to four years in prison for cutting 15-year-old Harpal Vacher's hair with a small pair of folding scissors after threatening him on May 24, 2007.

"The defendant has been convicted of a serious attack on the fundamental beliefs of his victims religion and his freedom to worship freely," Queens district attorney Richard A Brown said.

Crimes of hate will never be tolerated in Queens County, in particular the most culturally diverse county in the nation, he was quoted as saying by the north country gazette.

Ahmed was convicted by the jury of second-degree menacing as a hate crime, second-degree coercion as a hate crime, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and third-degree harassment.

Brown said that, according to the evidence, Ahmed approached Vacher inside the lunchroom and stated that the only way he would forgive the victim is if Ahmed cut his hair.

Vacher said "For what? It is against my religion."

Ahmed then took his ring and said that if the victim didn't go with him he would punch the victim with his ring, the gazette reported. He ordered Vacher to go to the bathroom or he would get him after school, cut his hair and send him home naked to his parents.

Ahmed then got a small pair of folding scissors from another student, took Vacher into the bathroom and cut his hair after forcing him to remove his turban. He was arrested by New York Police Department's School Safety Division.

Ahmed will be sentenced on April 11 by Queens Supreme Court Justice Joel Blumenfeld. (DNA)
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Malaysian Islamists Warn Of Tension Ahead Of Polls

Malaysia's hardline Islamic opposition party has warned its supporters could "run amok" if the election authorities block its candidates from standing in next month's general election.

Saying that Malaysia should avoid post-election violence that gripped Kenya, leaders of Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) told a rally late on Friday that the March 8 election could turn into one of the country's dirtiest.

"We anticipate this election will not be free and fair," party leader Syed Azman Syed Ahmad told the 5,000-strong rally in Kuala Terengganu, the northeastern city that saw a violent anti-government protest last September.

On Sept. 8, police opened fire to disperse rioters at a rally demanding electoral reforms, wounding two PAS members. Twenty-three people were arrested.

With the exception of 1969, when a divisive poll led to the country's worst race riots, Malaysian elections have largely been peaceful. But recent months have seen the biggest street protests in years, targeting Malaysia's electoral system.

The Barisan Nasional coalition, effectively in office since independence from Britain in 1957, is widely expected to hold on to power in the March 8 poll, though with a reduced majority.

The Election Commission denies the electoral system favours Barisan Nasional, but the opposition says electoral boundaries are drawn unfairly and electoral rolls stuffed with "phantom voters".

The opposition also says it has no access to pro-government media.

In the latest complaint against the panel, the opposition said it was unhappy over an 11th-hour ruling stipulating that would-be candidates must pay a stamp duty for a statutory declaration for their nomination papers.

Nominations for the March 8 polls will be accepted on Sunday. The election authorities said they were enforcing the ruling for the first time since it was introduced in 1981.

"The sudden ruling could be pretext to disqualify our candidates," PAS Vice-President Mohammad Sabu told reporters.

His party, which is trying to retain power in neighbouring Kelantan state, has said it would also contest 65 of the total 222 Parliament seats.

"If the Election Commission rejects the nomination papers, we will run amok," he said. "But we don't want this election to end up as in Kenya."

A disputed Dec. 27 presidential election triggered political and tribal violence in Kenya in which more than 1,000 people were killed and 300,000 were displaced.

PAS said it would hold large and sustained street protests if dozens of its candidates were disqualified by the Election Commission, despite a police ban on illegal protests.

"We will get half a million people in Kuala Lumpur to gather for several days," Sabu said. (Reuters India)

***** Mohammad Sabu's amok threat is mere bunkum and does little for PAS' image or credibility. It might find resonance among a small number of amok-prone Malays but will add to the many reservations Malaysians generally have about PAS. When will they learn to avoid foot-in-mouth speeches?
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Now A Singapore Airlines Pilot Fined In Australia For Laptop Child Porn!

A Singapore Airlines pilot was fined A$12,000 (5,600 pounds) for trying to bring child pornography into Australia, court documents showed on Wednesday.

Ng Kok Yauw, 40, captained a Singapore Airlines flight last Saturday from the city-state to Adelaide, Australia, when customs officials searched his laptop and found video clips of child pornography, Adelaide court documents seen by Reuters said.

Ng, who appeared in court on Monday, pleaded guilty to charges of importing banned material and making a false statement to a customs officer.

He could not be reached for comment but Singapore Airlines, the world’s second-largest airline by market value, said the airline was conducting its own investigation.

Seven video files were found on Ng’s computer, some of which contained footage of rape, sexual violence and children engaged in sexual activity, the documents said.

The maximum sentence in Australia for offences involving child pornography is a fine of A$275,000 and 10 years imprisonment.

While it is not an offence to bring pornographic material into Australia, an Australian customs spokeswoman said it was an crime to bring in "objectionable" or "abhorrent" pornography into the country.

This would include materials that "offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults", the spokeswoman said.

The pilot was one of three men caught last week by Australian custom officials for importing "offensive" pornography. Local media in Singapore said one of these was a Malaysian Airline pilot.

***** What's with these pilots? Score: MAS -- 1, SIA -- 1

Report: Malaysian Teacher Reprimanded For Making Hindu Students Shave Religious Beards

A teacher in Muslim-majority Malaysia has been reprimanded for forcing six Hindu schoolboys to shave their mustaches and beards, which they were growing for a religious ritual this month, a news report said Tuesday.

The Star newspaper quoted State Education Director Hussain Harun as saying that the teacher in the northern Perak state was enforcing school regulations that require students to be clean shaven. However, he was guilty of being insensitive to the students' feelings, and has been told off, Hussain was quoted as saying.

The teacher also forced the students to remove religious wristbands to enforce a rule that no ornaments be worn in school. "If need be, the teacher would have to apologize ... for hurting their feelings by being insensitive to their religious and cultural needs. The best way is to ask for their forgiveness," The Star quoted Hussain as saying.

Hussain could not immediately be reached, and the education officer investigating the case declined to comment.

The students were growing their hair as part of a ritual for the Thaipusam festival that was celebrated on Jan. 23. Many ethnic Indians, who form 8 percent of Malaysia's 27 million population, let their hair grow for a certain period and have themselves shaved on Thaipusam day.

The Star did not identify the teacher's religion.

The incident is a reflection of growing racial friction, which threatens to unravel the country's carefully nurtured ethnic and religious pluralism. About 60 percent of the population is Muslim Malay, and the minority Indians and Chinese are concerned that a pro-Muslim tilt in the civil service and judiciary is eroding their religious rights.

Lok Yim Pheng, secretary general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, slammed the teacher's actions. "Of course, we don't want the boys' beards to be too long, but we must understand these particular boys' religion," she told The Associated Press. "The teacher should be more sensitive ... They must act professionally. They cannot act out of emotions." (PR-Inside.com)

***** 'The Star did not identify the teacher's religion.' Hmmm.
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How Stupid Can You Get?

A con man and his female accomplice fleeced two women of RM17,300 and the man even had sex with one of them, the women claimed yesterday.

One woman told a press conference she had sex with the man after he gave her “holy water” that put her in a daze.

The businesswoman, 32, who only wanted to be identified as Lai, said a relative introduced the couple, who posed as a medium and disciple.

The man, who operated in Old Klang Road, told her to strip so that he could perform acupuncture on her and remove toxins from her body caused by evil spirits.

“The needle used may not have been sterilised and there is a risk of contracting diseases such as HIV,” said MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong during the press conference.

After the treatment, she was made to drink “holy water” and coerced into having sex with the man, she said.

The female accomplice would call Lai for further “treatments”, even at odd hours, threatening that evil spirits would harm her family if she did not comply, Lai said.

Aside from the sex, Lai lost RM8,300 to the couple, purportedly for special prayers.

Another victim, identified only as Thing, 42, who works in the food industry, said the man claimed he could get her cheaper goods.

She also claimed that he had hypnotised her into willingly parting with RM9,000.

The women have yet to tell their husbands about what had happened.

The two women and four other victims have lodged a police report against the alleged con man and his accomplice. Both women said they came forward to tell their stories so that others would not fall victim to the couple.

“I believe that there are about 20 victims. I urge the victims to not suffer in silence but have the courage to speak up,” said Chong.

“Please do not resort to mediums,” he stressed. (The Star)

***** It's amazing that in this century there are still those who can be so easily taken in by such con men. How otherwise rational people can become momentarily so gullible, beats me.
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Chauvinism, Extremism And Utter Stupidity Very Much Alive In This Seremban School

A secondary school in Taman Seremban Jaya here has caused unhappiness among parents for segregating male and female students in all activities including buying food at the canteen.

The matter had been brought to the attention of Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan who had asked the State Education Department to immediately investigate the claim.

"We don't want any school to make a new policy. Our policy is for coed (co-educational) schools, if we were to segregate the students, then there is no need to have coed schools," he told reporters after the State Exco meeting today.

He said segregating the students was not a normal practice in Negeri Sembilan and the school concerned had initiated a new policy which was contrary to the existing education policy.

"I don't want to comment whether it's allowed or otherwise, it's just that if one school has made a new policy, imagine what will happen if the other schools make their own policies too. So, action must be taken before the situation gets out of hand," he said.

The school's assistant principal, Baharuddin Aziz, declined to comment. Principal Muhammad Amir Shariff is on leave and is expected to be back next week.
(Bernama)

***** The situation is not only out of hand it is critical in certain schools administered by religious zealots who would feel more at home in a madrassah in Pakistan or some such country. In fact the ministry should just herd this lot of unbalanced fanatics into a cargo ship and send them off on a trip to one of those Islamic republics. Let them learn first hand of what they are trying to turn Malaysia into.
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Allah Controversy - KL High Court Plays For Time

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has deferred the hearing of a Sabah church's application to sue the government over non-Muslims' right to use the word 'Allah'. The professed reason for this deferment is to allow both parties to 'discuss' the issues.

This unnecessary controversy was sparked by that unthinking idiot Johari Baharum, deputy Internal Security minister who sent a directive ordering the weekly to drop the use of the word "Allah," when referring to the God who Christians worship. Instead, the newspaper should use the word "Tuhan," which is a general term for God. He further compounded his ignorance by saying that "Allah" referred only to the Muslim god, and its use was designed to confuse Muslims.

"Malaysians are truly dumbfounded that the use of a single, widely used term to refer to the Almighty could be the basis for denying a basic right -- the freedom to publish," cried Aliran in a statement. It challenged Prime Minister Ahmed Badawi, who touts the 'moderate' Islam Hadhari to speak out and clarify the issue.

Aliran and others have observed that the Arabic word "Allah" was used as a name for a supreme being even before Mohammed established Islam in the seventh century. Many Christian Arabs use the same word for God.

Fr. Lawrence Andrew, the Herald editor, said the ministry was trying to suppress the Bahasa Malaysia section of the newspaper. He pointed out that the word for God in the Bible in the Malay language is Allah, and said it was thus natural that that word be used.

"Surely we all know that no one can change the words of the Koran, likewise no editor can change the words of the [Bahasa Malaysia Bible]," he argued.

Andrew said many Bahasa Malaysia-speakers read the Herald, and by forcing the paper to stop publishing that section, the government was "curtailing the rights of Christian citizens who want to practice their faith -- to know more of the faith activities or be informed of faith events that are going to take place."

"This amounts to interfering in the internal activities of a religious group and ... contradicts the constitution," he said.

This isn't the first time the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims has caused contention in Malaysia.

In 2003, the issue prompted a government decision to ban a Bible published in the tongue of a small indigenous ethnic group. The ban was later reversed after protests.

In another recent sign of cracks along ethnic and religious lines in Malaysia, tens of thousands of ethnic Indian Hindus took to the streets in November to protest what they say are discriminatory policies that favor ethnic Malays at the expense of minorities. Among other things, the Hindus complained about the destruction of temples which officials say are illegal.

"The rights of one religious group should not trump the most basic of all individual human rights, the right to follow one's own conscience," said Michael Cromartie, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a statutory body that advises the administration and Congress.

With this High Court decision to defer the case, the ball has cleverly been placed in no one's court in particular and since there has been apparently no time limit being imposed for the 'discussions' we can safely assume that the controversy will be swept under the carpet. But things could have been worse if some spineless Malay judge putting his/her religious prejudices ahead of his/her sacred oath of office had abdicated his/her sworn obligation and duties and pushed the whole thing over to our Syariah courts. Luckily that didn't happen and we must thank Allah for small mercies.

In the meanwhile if the government has some brains and a true understanding of freedom to practice one's religion in a democracy, they will enable The Herald to continue publishing unmolested and allow the continued use of the word Allah as the editors have been doing all these years without converting or 'confusing' Muslims.

People like Johari Baharum who worry that Muslims are in danger of being pulled towards Christianity just because of the use of that one word, have actually deeply insulted fellow Malays and Muslims by insinuating that they are so shallow of mind and of so little faith. Johari B and his ilk exhibit symptoms of classical paranoia and therefore of unsound mind and should be referred at the earliest to a Muslim psychiatrist for professional help.
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Malaysia Takes God’s Name in Vain

On the eve of the Christmas holidays, Malaysia’s authorities mistakenly decide Allah’s name isn’t God’s.

The Malaysian authorities’ refusal to renew the publication of the weekly Catholic newspaper The Herald unless it stops using the word Allah as the word for God in the Malay language is a demonstration of racism and linguistic ignorance, not religious purity.

According to Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum, “Only Muslims can use ‘Allah’. It’s a Muslim word, you see. It’s from (the Arabic language). We cannot let other religions use it because it will confuse people,” he was reported as saying. “We cannot allow this use of ‘Allah’ in non-Muslim publications, nobody except Muslims. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s not right.”

But what Johari revealed was his ignorance of his own professed religion, of the Arabic language in which the Koran is written, and of the history and culture of Muslims throughout most of the world. God and Allah mean the same in different languages.

Muslims, like Christians do not worship a person called Allah. They worship a single supreme being which the Arabic language denotes as Allah. The very word Allah derives from the singular nature of the monotheistic deity. In the Arab world Allah has always been used by Christians (a significant minority) and Jews (a smaller but important minority until the creation of Israel) to denote the one God which the religions share. Ditto in Farsi.

In Indonesia 100 million Muslims have no problem with their Christian brothers using Allah to denote the supreme being in Bahasa Indonesia, the Indonesian version of the Malay language. So why should a United Malays National Organisation politician unless for some reason to ramp up Malay prejudice against non-Muslims and reinforce the notion that all Malays are and always will be Muslims?

Likewise among the (Roman) Catholics, the word in Latin (lingua franca of the Roman church) for God is Deus and is used without discrimination between Christians, Muslims and Jews.

The Johari version of the world displays the same kind of ignorance as found among Christian fundamentalists in the United States and elsewhere who insist on saying that Muslims worship Allah rather than the God (an English word) that the two religions share. An English Koran uses the words “In the name of God the compassionate and merciful,” not “In the name of Allah the compassionate and merciful.”

If Malaysian Malays are confused about the distinction between Islam and Christianity because they use the same word to describe the one God, clearly there is a lot wrong with the educational system. But if a minister is so ignorant, how can the rakyat – Malaysia’s citizenry ­­- be expected to know better?

For Muslims, Jesus was a prophet of Islam. For Johari on the eve of the birthday of Jesus to make this astonishing decision is an insult to his own religion as well as to the Christian one from which Islam sprang. (Asia Sentinel)

***** What a damning indictment of Johari Baharum. Any normal person with even a little pride and conscience would shrink and hide at being literally torn to shreds by the author of this and other such similar articles. But I'm sure our ultra religio-racist ignoramus, Joe B is made of sterner stuff and would bravely, albeit very foolishly, try to play on Malay ignorance and prejudice instead, to garner support for his perjuangan demi bangsa, agama dan negara, that magic Umno mantra (oops, sorry, very unislamic Sanskrit word that) which can work wonders with the simpletons in our kampungs.

Farish Noor's take on this issue: Do Malaysian Muslims understand what 'Allah' means?

Allah And Catholic Herald Weekly Permit Issue: PM Must Make His Stand In The National Interest, Says Aliran

Aliran is flabbergasted that the usage of a single word ‘Allah’ could be the basis for the denial of a fundamental right guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. The Catholic Herald Weekly has been warned it could lose its publication permit over its use of the term in its Malay-language section.

Malaysians are truly dumbfounded that the use of a single, widely used term to refer to the Almighty could be used to deny a basic right – the freedom to publish.

The term ‘Allah’ has been used for centuries without any problem or confusion. It has been the common term used by Muslims and Christians alike in the Arab world to refer to God

It has also been widely used in Malaysia to refer to the Almighty. There was no problem, no confusion and nobody got upset by this common term of reference. Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum’s sudden claim to exclusivity for the usage of the word thus does not make sense.

Languages are the common heritage of humanity. Because of this, the various languages developed and grew rich in expression. They absorbed words and expressions from one another and, in the process, languages became expressive, expanded and spread across the world.

Our own Bahasa Malaysia is littered with numerous words absorbed from many foreign languages. We have even stopped using existing words in preference to newly coined terms to reflect modernity and the scientific world. If foreign countries were to claim exclusivity for all these terms, what would become of Bahasa Malaysia?

Aliran also understands that the line, “Ya Allah Yang Maha Kuasa...” forms part of the Pahang state anthem. Does that mean that non-Muslims should not sing the Pahang state anthem? Johari must state his stand in this matter.

In the meantime, Malaysians wait with bated breath for the Prime Minister, who has been preaching tolerance and promoting Islam Hadhari, to clarify this matter and state his stand. Specifically, Malaysians would want to know whether he shares Johari’s stand. (Source - Aliran.com)

***** Sometimes I feel sorry for Pak Lah. He goes out of his way in preaching tolerance, the spirit of give-and-take and the importance of national unity, etc. and just when he probably feels that he has succeeded in convincing the sceptics, BANG, he gets blitzed by one of the nincompoops he surrounds himself with. Take this guy Johari Baharum for instance. He must be a monumental fool for having openly brought up this trivial issue. By his lack of theological as well as general knowledge and with the sole selfish intention of endearing himself to the Muslim masses, he has directly placed the government in a tight spot, a lose-lose situation.

At a time when inter-ethnic unity is on a tailspin, the last thing we need is an idiot to stir the shit with his stupidity. Johari Baharum is not only a dunce, he looks like one too. The PM should sack him at the earliest before he invites more problems for the country.

Ali The Idiot Rustam Opens His Dirty Mouth Again

This is one sick son-of-a-bitch who has been allowed free rein to infest the state of Malacca and to once in a while open his big, filthy gob and spew utter rubbish. If you believe in rebirths this clown was probably a close cousin of Adolf Hitler in his earlier stay on this planet. That is if he wasn't a skunk or some such creature.

Read of this idiot's views in this Bernama report.

Umno vice- president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam has urged the authorities to invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) or withdraw the citizenship of the four lawyers and four activists involved in an illegal march in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said their action showed that they were traitors to the country for going against the order of the authorities not to proceed with the illegal march.

"I support their arrest as their action was extreme. Their stubbornness to go ahead with the illegal march could cause fear among the people, and perhaps even among the investors," he told reporters after attending the wedding of the daughter of 4B Youth Movement Malaysia general secretary, Datuk Wira Jamaludin Abdul Rahim here today.

Mohd Ali was asked to comment on the arrest of four lawyers and four activists for holding an illegal march from in front of the Sogo Departmental Store in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to the Bar Council building in Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur this morning.

The organisers of the march did not obtain a police permit to hold it and had also ignored the order to disperse.

About 50 people, including lawyers, activists, bloggers and members of non-governmental organisations, had gathered since 7.30am in front of Sogo and marched along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman towards the Bar Council building in conjunction with World Human Rights Day tomorrow.

Mohd Ali, who is also Melaka Chief Minister, said the action by the authorities was necessary to prevent more street demonstrations from being organised by irresponsible groups.

"Such illegal demonstrations or gatherings could threaten public order.

"I also think that these gatherings are linked to the opposition parties which are becoming increasingly desperate on hearing talks that the general election would be held soon.

"They are willing to do anything to win votes," he said.

What an A-class bastard he is. Imagine what would happen if this idiot became PM?
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IGP Lies Through His Teeth About Hindraf

The IGP perhaps to repay the kindness shown by the government in granting him an extension of service, gave a remarkably stupid display today of his gratitude to the ruling Umno party. In what was claimed to be a 'startling revelation' he accused the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) of trying to 'solicit help and support from terrorist groups'! His wild claim which has no basis is suspiciously similar to the usual Umno strategy of badly discrediting someone before going in for the kill. This has all the ingredients of a malicious attempt to rubbish Hindraf prior to justifying the use of the ISA to quell genuine calls for justice and fair play. The government is increasingly proving itself to be a fascist one and by indiscriminately misusing the police, the courts and the mainstream media, our pemimpin are doing a good job of it all by themselves. They really don't need Hindraf to bring down their reputation and standing in the world. Our kerajaan has achieved that and more by their blatantly unjust and criminal acts.

According to a Bernama report, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had reportedly said that Hindraf had made 'false, baseless and slanderous allegations' that the government had marginalised the Indians, had deprived them of their rights in the economic and education fields and positions in the government to the extent that the community was backward even after 50 years of independence.

The Inspector-General of Police said Hindraf had defied the law and went ahead to stage the Nov 25 street protests because its real motive was to create chaos in the federal capital. "But instead they 'twisted' the incident and accused the police of using force on their supporters.

Adding to the demonisation which Hindraf has been subjected to by all and sundry, from mainly within Umno, the IGP even outdid the more rabid among the umnoputeras by making sweeping allegations and innuendo-filled speculative generalisations. He showed clearly that he knew which side of his bread is buttered and had no qualms about exposing his total partiality on the issue.

For him to blame Hindraf for 'twisting' the incidents that took place during the rally and accusing the police of using force on their supporters is an unbelievable assertion! Unlike the doctored visuals on Malaysian TV, the rest of the world had witnessed unedited videos of the unprovoked brutality displayed by our cops who incidentally were the main culprits who did most of the rioting. This bluff which the IGP is trying to pull on locals is a pathetic attempt to salvage the tarnished reputation of the police while at the same time deviously putting the blame on those who have little avenue to rebut him.

His conscienceless accusations that claims of Indians being marginalised, discriminated against and impoverished by government policies are ' false, baseless and slanderous allegations, ' without doubt or question indicates his lack of integrity and honesty. That such a self-serving statement comes from the nation's top cop is both shameful and an utter disgrace. He has very clearly demonstrated that he is unfit to hold the post of IGP and should instead resign and contest in the coming election as an Umno candidate.

Read of the gross untruth propagated by Musa HERE.
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