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Assembly law more ‘restrictive’, say lawyers

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:26:31 GMT

Assembly law more ‘restrictive’, say lawyers

By Debra Chong

May 25, 2012

The Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) was passed in Parliament last year to replace Section 27 of the Police Act. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Calling it “restrictive” and “financially oppressive”, lawyers have questioned Putrajaya’s unprecedented move to initiate a civil suit against Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and nine other Bersih leaders for damages sustained during the April 28 rally less than a month under a newly-enforced law allowing public gatherings.

The lawyers contacted by The Malaysian Insider suggested the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government was sowing the seeds of “legal fear” among demonstrators to head off future public expressions of dissent, which they noted ran counter to the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and association.

“The whole idea of the (Peaceful Assembly) Act is questionable. In practice, it seems to be more restrictive. It limits the constitutional rights of the individual to freedom of expression and curtails their right to assemble,” said Joy Appukuttan, president of the Catholic Lawyers’ Society.

“We are moving into unchartered waters. The action by the government has created legal fear,” he added.

Appukuttan pointed out that similar rallies had taken place elsewhere around the country and abroad on April 28 without incident and questioned the government’s extraordinary legal suit.

He also noted that the government had said it would set up a panel to investigate complaints of police brutality against demonstrators during the April 28 rally in the capital city.

“What is the objective of the government in starting legal action before investigating the truth behind the entire rally. They should have waited for the inquiry to complete before taking legal action,” he said.

Another lawyer, Syahredzan Johan, said the government was setting “a very bad precedent” by initiating the civil suit because it does not have the moral authority to use these rights to bring such civil suits against its own citizens.

“It means that a citizen who wants to exercise his or her constitutionally guaranteed rights will now expose himself or herself to the threat of a civil suit by the government, on top of the criminal sanctions provided for under the Peaceful Assembly Act and other laws,” he told The Malaysian Insider in an emailed response.

He explained: “A government does owe a duty of care to its citizens, but you would be hard-pressed to argue that citizens owe a duty of care to its government.

“Contrast a civil suit with criminal proceedings; a government has the moral authority to prosecute because it has the responsibility to do so, bestowed upon it by the people in return for security.”

Syahredzan noted that the government’s action gave the impression it was motivated by “political reasons”.

The young lawyer noted that the civil suit raised other practical concerns — that the police had also failed to adhere to the peaceful assembly law based on widespread reports and video evidence of officers’ harsh actions against demonstrators.

“What is the point of having this Act if we cannot expect the authorities to follow it?” he said.

Senior lawyer Sankara Nair said with the suit, the government now had to prove the losses it suffered were caused by Ambiga and her team “because there are issues of provocation of the crowd and the consequences of that provocation. These things have to be considered.

“The previous law was more restrictive on the face of it, but in the light of the government’s suit against the rally organisers, it has become financially-oppressive,” he said.

“This case is extraordinary. They are opening themselves up to a plethora of arguments,” he said.

Sankara noted that the government had been careless in naming individuals who were no longer part of Bersih 3.0’s steering committee, citing as example Haris Fathillah Mohamed @ Haris Fathillah Sam Sathiasingam).

“Haris is not on the steering committee. He has resigned,” the lawyer said.

But he stopped short of calling the action “selective prosecution”, saying instead it reflected the government’s “tardiness” in keeping up-to-date on changes to organisations and events.

“They should have been very careful in naming the individuals in the suits,” he added.

The Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) was passed in Parliament last year to replace Section 27 of the Police Act, which had been criticised for being oppressive as it gave the home minister full powers in granting permission for public rallies.

Yesterday, 10 Bersih 3.0 steering committee members, including Ambiga, became the first persons to be sued in a civil action under the PAA, introduced just days before the April 28 demonstration for free and fair elections.

The writ of summons states: “The plaintiff charges that the defendants failed to carry out their statutory responsibility when the assembly went out of control and turned into a riot, causing damage to vehicles owned by the plaintiff.”

The government is claiming RM122,000 to compensate for alleged damage to 15 government-owned vehicles.

The action comes after PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, deputy president Azmin Ali and Rembau chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin were charged with taking part in the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally under section 4(2)(c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said when tabling the law in Parliament last year that it would be “revolutionary” and would allow Malaysians to participate in public gatherings “in accordance with international norms.”

The case is set for mention on June 13 before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Prasad Sandosham Abraham.

The April 28 rally that saw tens of thousands gather at six different locations before heading to Dataran Merdeka was peaceful until about 2.30pm when Ambiga asked the crowd to disperse.

But her announcement was not heard by most of the crowd who persisted to linger around the historic square which the court had already barred to the public over the weekend.

Just before 3pm, some protestors breached the barricade surrounding the landmark, leading police to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons.

Police then continued to pursue rally-goers down several streets amid chaotic scenes which saw violence from both sides over the next four hours.

Several dozen demonstrators have claimed that they were assaulted by groups of over 10 policemen at a time and visual evidence appears to back their claim but police also point to violence from rally-goers who also attacked a police car.

The police car then crashed into a building before some protestors flipped it on its side.

http://www.malaysia-today.net/low-bandwidth/index.php#Kelantan:%20Islamic%20designs%20a%20must

Bukan semua orang belajar nak dapat 9A

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:20:52 GMT

Bukan semua orang belajar nak dapat 9A

"Renungan"...dipetik dari salah satu blog.

Salam,

Kadang-kadang kita dapat merasakan hidup ini bagaikan satu kembara ilmu yang tiada berpenghujung. Itulah yang dapat saya rasakan tatkala mengikuti rakan-rakan saya di NGO Wargakilang melawat sebuah Pondok Tradisional di pedalaman Beris, SIK Kedah pada hujung minggu yang lalu.

Melawat Pondok Tuan Guru Hj Mat Nahu ini bagaikan sebuah perjalanan merentas masa ke zaman saya yang silam. Barisan rumah pondok kayu yang tidak berapa tersusun di sepanjang gigi sungai itu mengingatkan saya kepada rumah-rumah lama di kampong sewaktu kecil dahulu. Yang menambah nostalgianya, tatkala Mudirnya, Ustaz Kamil membawa kami berjalan-jalan di sekitar kawasan pondok berkenaan, kami tiba di tebing sungai, tempat budak-budak pondok ini mandi manda; terus saya teringat zaman budak-budak saya dulu.

Di tebing yang hampir serupalah, saya berselimut kain pelikat atau kain batik di kedinginan subuh pagi, kemudian terus terjun ke dalam sungai tanpa apa-apa, dan serentak itu juga meloncat naik semula ke pinggir tebing, terus pulang ke rumah bersiap untuk ke sekolah. Itulah rutin harian saya setiap pagi di hari sekolah.

Bila pulang dari sekolah, saya melalui satu kawasan pinggir hutan yang ada pokok ASAM GELUGOR, kadang-kadang saya pungut beberapa biji buah yang gugur dibawa pulang untuk arwah ibu jadikan Asam Keping. Di sebelah petang, saya dengan kawan-kawan selalu masuk ke pinggir hutan simpan berdekatan men-terbil burung, melastik buah SETOI atau pun memanjat dahan RAMBAI.

(Ustaz Kamil, berkain pelikat bergambar beramai-ramai di tebing sungai)

Ah, begitu berbetulan sekali, rupa-rupanya di tebing sungai Pondok ini ada ketiga-tiga pokok itu; ASAM GELUGOR, Pokok SETOI dan Pohon Rambai, akarnya berkongsi tapak yang sama di tepi tebing itu.

Pondok Tuan Guru Hj Mat Nahu ini memang betul-betul jauh ke pedalaman, sudahlah tidak ada line h/p, kedudukannya yang begitu jauh hingga terhimpit ke tebing sungai ini betul-betul mengingatkan saya kepada kata-kata orang ALIM, yang antara lain berbunyi:

“Di akhir zaman nanti, bila mana FITNAH berleluasa dalam masyarakat, larilah kamu ke tempat yang jauh dari orang ramai demi memelihara agamamu”

Saya tak pasti sama ada ini adalah hadith atau pun cuma kata-kata orang ALIM. Tapi itulah hakikatnya di zaman ini, kalau kita betul-betul nak jaga kemurniaan ISLAM yang ada dalam diri kita, memang hari ini kita memang tak sesuai dah duduk dalam masyarakat orang ISLAM yang kita ada la nie. Ya lah, merata fitnah dok ada, pi kedai nak beli roti boleh nampak muka depan akhbar ka majalah apa ka dengan gambaq seksi dan kisah-kisah seks sensasi. Bawa anak isteri pi beli barang di shopping complex pula, tipulah kalau tak bertembung dengan pompuan tua muda yang berpakaian seksi berbagai aksi. Bawa kereta lalu lalang boleh nampak papan iklan dengan imej wanita menggoda berbagai gaya.

Pendek kata, kalau ikut kata-kata orang ALIM di atas, memang tempat ulu macam Pondok TG Hj Mat Nahu inilah patutnya kita pakai lari mai kalau betul-betul kita nak jaga kesucian dan kemurniaan cahaya Islam di dada.

Tuan Guru Hj Mat Nahu sudah pun arwah, yang tinggal hanyalah anak-anak muridnya seperti Ustaz Kamil untuk meneruskan perjuangan. Mungkin Arwah sudah pun boleh nampak perkara ini (FITNAH akhir zaman), kerana itulah beliau memilih tempat yang terpencil ini untuk membuka pondoknya. Wallah hu aklam.

Yang paling menarik dan agak terkesima buat saya ialah Pondok ini dengan lebih kurang 80 orang pelajarnya, bukanlah seperti sekolah pondok atau pun sekolah agama rakyat yang biasa kita dengar; mereka di sini belajar seperti orang dulu-dulu belajar pondok, depa mai mengaji kitab semata-mata untuk mengaji agama dan mendalami ISLAM, dan bukan untuk dapat Sijil, Ijazah atau pun apa. Di sini tidak ada Sijil Tinggi Agama ka Sijil Rendah ka apa ka, apa tah lagi PMR atau pun SPM. Semuanya adalah 100% pure mengaji agama semata-mata, tidak ada sijil tidak ada apa.

Bila saya tanya Ustaz Kamil, dia kata depa ikut system yang digunapakai di Hadramaut Yaman mana entah, di mana orang mai mengaji sebab nak belajar agama bukan nak sijil atau pun apa. Habis tu, kalau tak ada SIJIL, nanti depa nak jadi apa?

(Sekarang ini kalau nak masuk calun pilihanraya pun, kalau kata dia tu Ustaz balik Al-Azhar, kena tunjuk Ijazah Azhar dalam suratkhabar woo)

Bila saya ajukan pertanyaan ini, Ustaz jawab:

“Matlamat kita ialah nak jadikan mereka ini sebagai INSAN BERTAKWA. Kerja apa, itu Allah yang tentukan, sebab setiap kita yang dilahirkan ini ALLAH SWT dah tentukan rezeki masing-masing. Apa pun kerja mereka nanti, kita harap mereka akan menjadi seorang pekerja yang BERTAKWA”

Tu dia, mana ada Sekolah kat Malaysia ini yang macam itu punya dok ada VISI dan MATLAMATnya, jauh melangkau minda sedar kita.

Cubalah lihat wajah anak-anak yang saya diberi kesempatan untuk menyampaikan sedikit ceramah motivasi, teknik untuk memotivasi diri sendiri ini; boleh nampak wajah-wajah GHURABA (pemuda aneh di akhir zaman) di dahi mereka.

Moga para GHURABA ini akan menjadi penyambung kepada warisan ISLAM yang diperturunkan kepada mereka oleh Tuan Guru mereka yang menerima daripada arwah Tuan Gurunya yang menerima daripada Tuan Guru yang terdahulu, dan bersusur galur hingga ke zaman awal Islam. Moga dengannya nanti, anak cucu cicit kita akan mampu terus bernafas dengan cahaya Islam yang akan terus bersinar selagi mana adanya sistem-sistem pondok tradisional seperti ini.

Jika ada masa, kunjungilah pondok TG Hj Mat Nahu ini; banyak bantuan yang mereka perlukan. Kata Ustaz Kamil, selain daripada makanan harian dan kain pakai seperti kain pelikat dan baju, mereka juga berbesar hati kalau ada sesiapa yang mampu tolong bina madrasah tempat mereka belajar kerana di madrasah kayu dengan atap zink berlubang sana sini yang kami tumpang solat zohor dan buat kenduri tahlil ini, di sinilah juga sebenarnya merupakan rumah Ust Kamil, mudir pondok ini sendiri.

Moga apa saja bantuan yang dapat disalurkan terus kepada pihak Pondok TG Hj Mat Nahu ini akan dikira sebagai balasan pahala yang berkekalan buat kita semua di Akhirat nanti.

Ada masa pi lah melawat depa, boleh bawa anak-anak kot kalau depa teringin nak terjun sungai ka apa. (Orang lain tak tau, tapi saya tunggu cuti sekolah ja nanti, nak bawa anak-anak mandi manda kat situ, nak tunjuk kat depa macam mana Abah depa mandi pagi waktu kecik-kecik dulu).

Sekian, sekadar perkongsian akan sebuah kisah realiti yang terperosok di penghujung zaman. Bukan semua orang mengaji/belajar sebab nak dapat 9A!!

moniermatdin@yahoo.com

http://www.moniermatdin.blogspot.com

Will political parties take up the challenge of the MACC?

Sat, 26 May 2012 02:06:57 GMT

Will political parties take up the challenge of the MACC?

Posted on 25 May 2012

Ramon Navaratnam, The Malaysian Insider

The MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Shukri has to be commended for offering leaders of all political parties the opportunity to vet their candidates for the coming 13th General Elections for corruption.

The vital question in the public mind is: Will political party leaders and their proposed candidates take up this challenge ?

As a former President of Transparency Malaysia and a former Chairman of the MACC’s Prevention and Consultation Panel, I believe the public and especially the Voters will warmly welcome this sound MACC initiative.

I would therefore strongly urge the leaders of all political parties as well as the political party members themselves to resolve to cooperate fully with the MACC to ask for full vetting of their candidates before the fast approaching 13th General Elections.

The Elections will gain greater legitimacy and be generally regarded with a higher standard of Transparency, Integrity and Accountability and certainly be seen as much cleaner, if all the political party leaders request that the MACC vet their candidates to ascertain if they have “clean records”.

In fact, the public have a real opportunity now to find out whether the Candidates are free from corruption in the past and to ensure that in the future, the MACC monitors their wealth to check on their Report Card for malpractices and corruption.

It would be even better if the Government that is committed to fighting corruption, authorises the MACC Board of Directors to maintain and monitor this proposed Report Card on Integrity for all electoral candidates and elected officials. This good practice will enable MACC to keep track of the performance of all elected officials in regard to their accumulated assets and their integrity, as their Key Productivity Index (KPI).

This way corrupt Members of Parliament, State Governments and Local Authorities will soon be found out and the MACC can move in to stop the rot before it gets worse. Malaysia’s progress will be stifled if corruption increases from the top and we cannot afford this socio-economic and political decline.

Hence, the Rakyat should demand that the Government and the Opposition Parties as well should take action as soon as possible, before the 13th General Elections, to take up the challenge of the MACC to request vetting for all their Candidates and elected and appointed officials at all levels of government.

The Voters should also resolve that they will be able to fulfil their national duty to vote wisely, only if they vote for those who have been cleared by the Integrity Screening Division of the MACC. It should be a case of “No Integrity Clearance, No Vote”. Thus Voters should not vote for political parties and candidates who do not care to obtain “corruption clearance” from the MACC. That will be your major contribution to fight corruption!

I would also urge the MACC to advance their good initiatives to fight corruption by vetting all election candidates for “living beyond their means” and to ‘Red Flag’ them for political leaders to see red, even if the political leaders are reluctant to request the MACC do so. Then the MACC can take preventive action to avoid allegations of “selective prosecution”. The public too can then be persuaded that the MACC is doing its best but that the politicians are not supporting them fully in their fight against corruption.

I am also convinced that the public confidence will rise and the Transparency Index will improve considerably, if the Government and Opposition parties request that the MACC vet their candidates and monitor their conduct to fight corruption, after they are elected.

This laudable move by the MACC will certainly serve the public and the national interest, as it will contribute greatly to the real Transformation of Malaysia’s socio-economic position and political system, for a Better 1 Malaysia for all Malaysians to enjoy .

* Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam is chairman of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli)/Centre of Public Policy Studies.

SPM 2011 tanpa Interlok

Sat, 26 May 2012 01:46:39 GMT

SPM 2011 tanpa Interlok

Percayakah anda jika saya katakan bahawa tidak menjadi apa-apa masalah sekiranya novel “Interlok Edisi Murid” (DBP: 2010) tidak digunakan langsung oleh calon SPM yang bakal menduduki peperiksaan kertas Bahasa Malaysia pada 14 November 2011?

Ya, saya tahu bahawa sebaik membaca perenggan di atas, ada pihak yang mungkin sudah mengasah parang dan ada yang sudah menyebarkan mesej meminta saya ditahan mengikut Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA).

Hal ini tidaklah menghairankan kerana apabila Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) mengeluarkan kenyataan media pada 17 April lalu kerana kecewa dengan sikap Kementerian Pelajaran yang mengatakan bahawa Kamus Dewan hanya milik orang Melayu, seorang individu bernama “Subari Ahmad” mengeluarkan kenyataan di Facebook: “… hantar saja si dia tu ke ISA kerana cuba menggugat ketenteraman rakyat”.

Rakannya yang bernama “Wan Asyeah Wan Nawang” pula menyatakan sokongan: “Sudah naik tocang rupanya dia. Elok juga dikenakan ISA. Ini negara kita MALAYSIA bukan INDISIA”.

Pemurnian termasuk mencetak nama pengarang pada kulit novel.

Maka, bagi mengelakkan sebarang masalah dengan “golongan kurang cerdik”, biar saya tekankan bahawa kenyataan saya pada perenggan pertama tadi selaras pendirian Kementerian Pelajaran dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri sendiri. Tidak percaya? Terus membaca.

Apabila saya katakan bahawa novel “Interlok Edisi Murid” boleh sahaja tidak digunakan sebagai teks Komsas pada tahun ini, jangan pula ada pihak yang menuduh saya cuba menutup pintu rezeki Sasterawan Negara Datuk Abdullah Hussain (Pak Lah).

Sila ambil perhatian bahawa sama ada novel ini digunakan atau tidak digunakan sebagai teks Komsas pada tahun ini, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) tetap wajib memberi royalti sekitar RM50,000 kepada Pak Lah pada tahun ini.

Segala “kesilapan” yang menyebabkan timbul kontroversi berhubung novel edisi murid itu adalah tanggungan penerbit, bukan pengarang. Maka, royalti tetap perlu dibayar bagi sekitar 390,000 naskhah yang dicetak pada 2010.

Dari mana saya mendapatkan angka royalti RM50,000 yang perlu dibayar oleh DBP kepada Pak Lah bagi tahun ini? Mudah sahaja!

Semasa “Dialog Novel Interlok” anjuran Persatuan Penulis Nasional (Pena) di Rumah Pena pada 8 Januari lalu, penulis veteran, Dr Ilias Zaidi yang juga sahabat lama Pak Lah “mendedahkan” bahawa apabila novel “Konserto Terakhir” dijadikan teks Komsas Tingkatan Lima (2001-2010), Pak Lah mendapat honorarium melebihi RM500,000.

Memandangkan “Interlok Edisi Murid” juga dijadikan teks Komsas Tingkatan Lima (2011-2020), maka jumlah royalti pastilah hampir sama; iaitu sekitar RM50,000 setahun.

Suka saya tegaskan, Pak Lah masih layak menerima wang itu pada tahun ini walaupun berlaku keadaan di mana novel “Interlok Edisi Murid” yang dicetak pada 2010 tidak akan digunakan di sekolah.

Sekali lagi, jangan melenting membaca frasa “tidak akan digunakan di sekolah”. Bertenang. Teruskan membaca.

Berikut kenyataan media Menteri Pelajaran, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin pada 27 Januari lalu:

“Novel ‘Interlok’ (edisi murid) hanya akan digunakan setelah pindaan disiapkan dan diedar ke sekolah-sekolah. Saya percaya kita mempunyai masa yang cukup untuk membuat pindaan secara teliti supaya tidak timbul lagi sebarang pertikaian mengenai novel ‘Interlok’ selepas ini.”

Kavyan mengalu-alukan keputusan Kementerian Pelajaran membuat pindaan kepada novel “Interlok Edisi Murid” sebelum dibenarkan dijadikan teks Komsas. Keputusan melakukan pindaan pula harus dilakukan dengan bijak supaya segala kelemahan yang ada dalam edisi murid dapat dimurnikan sepenuhnya; demikian dilaporkan di akhbar Sinar Harian pada 28 Januari lalu.

Keputusan yang dicapai pada 23 Mac adalah bahawa novel itu akan dimurnikan mengikut saranan pindaan yang diperakukan secara konsensus oleh Panel Bebas pada 4 Mac dan novel berkenaan akan dicetak semula.

Pada Jun 2011, berlaku sedikit “sandiwara” iaitu usaha menggunakan “pelekat ajaib”. Kavyan menentang sekeras-kerasnya tindakan itu yang bertentangan dengan keputusan yang dicapai dan diumumkan di Dewan Rakyat pada 24 Mac.

Akhirnya, pada 22 Jun lalu, Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi dipetik Bernama Online berkata, “kementerian buat keputusan hari ini, untuk mencetak semula.”

Pada tarikh sama, Utusan Malaysia melaporkan, “pada 28 Mac lalu, Ketua Pengarah DBP, Datuk Termuzi Abdul Aziz dilaporkan berkata, pihaknya tidak akan mencetak semula novel itu walaupun pindaan dibuat.”

Peperiksaan kertas Bahasa Malaysia SPM adalah pada Isnin, 14 November 2011. Semasa artikel ini ditulis, novel “Interlok Edisi Murid” yang dimurnikan sepenuhnya dan dicetak semula seperti dijanjikan belum dihantar ke sekolah-sekolah di Zon 2 (Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur dan Putrajaya).

Maka, ada alasan kukuh untuk “menangguhkan” penggunaan edisi baru novel itu sehingga tahun depan — dengan andaian bahawa edisi yang dimurnikan sepenuhnya dan dicetak semula sempat diedarkan menjelang akhir tahun ini. Dan dengan andaian Termuzi dilembutkan hatinya.

Sabar. Jangan tuduh saya dan Kavyan cuba mengganggu keamanan negara dan menentang pendirian Kementerian Pelajaran. Teruskan membaca.

“Panduan Lulus Komsas Zon 2” (21 Mac 2011) adalah sebuah faksyen yang menampilkan panduan kepada calon SPM 2011 bagi mendapat markah tinggi dalam Komsas.

Menerusi faksyen itu, diceritakan bagaimana calon SPM 2011 di Zon 2 menggunakan novel-novel dari zon-zon lain untuk menjawab soalan peperiksaan.

Sebelum ada pihak mengangkat parang (atau keris) dan menyarankan saya ditahan di bawah ISA, biar saya nyatakan bahawa idea dalam “Panduan Lulus Komsas Zon 2” tidak bertentangan dengan pendirian Kementerian Pelajaran (KPM).

Kalau tidak percaya, cuba teliti Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas Bil. 7/2009 bertarikh 25 November 2009 daripada Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran Malaysia kepada semua Pengarah Pelajaran di Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri.

Salinan pekeliling itu turut dihantar kepada Timbalan Perdana Menteri merangkap Menteri Pelajaran, kedua-dua Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Ketua Setiausaha KPM serta timbalan-timbalan, Timbalan-timbalan Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran KPM, Ketua-ketua Bahagian KPM, Ketua Nazir, Jemaah Nazir dan Jaminan Kualiti KPM, Penasihat Undang-undang KPM, serta Pegawai Perhubungan Awam KPM.

Saya petik kandungan yang berkenaan daripada surat pekeliling itu:

“Pengagihan novel adalah mengikut zon. Walau bagaimanapun, kelonggaran diberi kepada pihak sekolah untuk memilih judul novel yang bersesuaian bagi murid sekolah berkenaan.”

Maka, tidak menjadi kesalahan (atau dosa) sekiranya sekolah-sekolah di Zon 2 tidak menggunakan novel “Interlok Edisi Murid” pada tahun ini.

Alasan paling kukuh adalah bahawa novel yang dimurnikan sepenuhnya dan dicetak semula sebagaimana dijanjikan Kementerian Pelajaran masih belum diserahkan kepada pelajar.

Mungkin ada pihak yang mengatakan bahawa terlalu lewat untuk meminta guru-guru dan pelajar di Zon 2 menggunakan novel-novel dari zon-zon lain.

Tolong jangan pandang rendah kemampuan dan intelektualiti para guru kita! Tolong jangan sangka guru-guru kita hanya layak melakukan kerja-kerja menampal “pelekat ajaib” pada 9 halaman novel “Interlok Edisi Murid” cetakan 2010!

Saya yakin bahawa guru-guru di Zon 2 mempunyai kepakaran, semangat, kebolehan dan ilmu untuk membantu pelajar Tingkatan Lima khatam novel “Kembara Amira” (Zon 1), “Sutera Dalam Lukisan” (Zon 3) atau “Kabus Di Perbukitan” (Zon 4) dalam tempoh sekitar dua setengah bulan berbaki sebelum SPM.

Paling tidak, apa gunanya buku-buku panduan menjawab soalan Komsas yang berlambak dalam pasaran?

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Tiada Wahabi di Malaysia ---Dr Mohd Asri Zainul AbidinTiada Wahabi di Malaysia oleh Dr Mohd Asri Zai

Sat, 26 May 2012 01:42:29 GMT

Tiada Wahabi di Malaysia

Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin

Sarjana Islam Malaysia, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin menarik perhatian seluruh Malaysia untuk bercakap secara terbuka mengenai Islam konservatif, dan ucapan beliau menarik perhatian ramai di seluruh negara. Wartawan The Wall Street Journal, Celine Fernandez baru-baru ini bercakap dengan Dr Mohd Asri mengenai perubahan peranan agama dalam salah satu ekonomi utama di Asia. Ikuti temubual tersebut.

Malaysia terkenal dengan Islam sederhana dan dilihat sebagai contoh untuk negara lain. Tetapi beberapa ulamak kerajaan baru-baru ini memberi amaran mengenai fahaman lebih konservatif yang sedang mengambil tempat di dalam negara terutama fahaman Wahabi yang pada masa ini diamalkan di Arab Saudi Dr. Asri mencetuskan perhatian baru di seluruh negara apabila bercakap secara terbuka mengenai Islam konservatif, yang mendapat menarik ramai di seluruh negara.

SOALAN: Pengritik menyatakan bahawa interpetasi Islam Dr. Asri memisahkan dari ulamak-ulamak lain di Malaysia. Apakah fahaman Islam Dr dan bagaimana ia berbeza dengan fahaman Islam yang digariskan oleh golongan Islam sedia ada.

DR.ASRI: Di Malaysia pada masa ini tidak ada banyak golongan Islam konservatif, tetapi mereka berada di jawatan-jawatan penting kerajaan. Sementara kumpulan progresif banyak menyumbang dalam reformasi sejak kebelakangan ini, mereka dikesempingkan oleh kumpulan konservatif yang mengawal institusi agama di dalam kerajaan dan memastikan bahawa hanya idea pemikiran mereka diberi peluang untuk hidup. Kerajaan mungin bimbang bahawa kumpulan progresif akan mengkritik dari apa yang mereka lihat.

Kemungkinan terdapat keinginan di setengah-setengah pihak untuk mengekalkan elemet rasis dan fanatif extrem keagamaan untuk melindungi kepentigan politik mereka. Peganan Islam ialah ia adalah satu agama yang merahmati semua orang, tidak kira kaum ataupun agama. Lebih daripada itu, rahmat ini meliputi seluruh alam. Sebarang penterjemahan Islam yang membawa kepada ketidakadilan, tekanan, pemusuhan kepada orang lain, kejahilan, sistem kasta masyarakat, rasis, fanatik yang tidak menghormati hak orang lain, semua ini perlu ditolak. Islam mesti digambarkan sebagai agama yang mencintai orang lain, yang menghormati hak, menghormati ilmu pengetahuan, menolak kefahaman karut dan amalan berasaskan kepada pendebatan yang benar.

SOALAN: Sebuah akhbar tempatan memetik Dr “Tugas saya ialah untuk mengetengahkan Islam dalam kerangka moden dan mengeluarkannya daripada kongkongan konservatif, yang telah menjadikan agama telah ketinggalan zaman”. apa yang Dr cadangkan dalam hal ini.

JAWAPAN: Sesetengah kepercayaan asas Islam, cara beribadah dan prinsip asas moral tidak berubah. Bagaimanapun, terdapat beberapa perkara yang boleh diubah berasaskan faktor tempat, masa dan masyarakat. Kita mesti memahami bahawa sesetengah perkara berasaskan kepada kejadian semasa zaman Rasulullulah SAW. Kita perlu mengambil semangat perkara itu, bukan melaksanakannya secara terus. Islam tidak sukar. Kita tinggal di dalam zaman teknologi. Islam mempunyai pendekatan dan bahasa dalam zaman ini. Kebanyakan perkara dalam Islam mempunyai maksud secara am, ia terbuka kepada pelbagai terjemahan kerana Allah SWT menyedari bahawa manusia akan tinggal di dalam keadaan yang berbeza.

SOALAN: Dr mengatakan sesetengah tradisi dan amalan tidak berasaskan kepada ajaran Rasululullah SAW. Sesetengah melihat ini sebagai ektremis dan mendakwa pandangan Dr berkait dengan terjemahan Islam Wahabi. Adakah ini benar.

JAWAPAN: Jika perkara itu membabitkan bagaimana untuk beribadah dalam Islam, ia benar, terdapat pelbagai perkara pemikiran mengenai inovasi dalam beribadah. Saya tidak boleh menerima amalan ibadah yang tidak berasaskan daripada nas-nas di dalam al-Quran dan hadis Rasullulah SAW. Tetapi saya bukan Wahabi. saya bukan pengikut Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhabi. Sebaliknya terdapat banyak fatwa dari ulamak Arab Saudi yang saya tidak setuju. Tetapi saya berpendapat mereka mempunyai sumbangan tersendiri kepada masyarakat Islam diseluruh dunia. Kita perlu menghargai semua pihak.

SOALAN: Mengapa interpetasi Islam Wahabi tidak digalakkan di Malaysia?

JAWAPAN: Sekiranya “Wahabi” bermakna mengajak orang ramai kepada kefanatik, tegar, tegas, tidak berkompromi dan sebagainya. Saya menentangnya. Pada pendapat saya sesetengah pandangan agama di negara -negara Teluk adalah jumud, terutama mengenai wanita, orang bukan Islam dan isu politik serta beberapa perkara lain. Tetapi terdapat juga pendapat yang baik dan sesuai dikalangan mereka. Bagaimanapun, walapun kita tidak bersetuju dengan pandangan mereka, itu tidak bermakna kita boleh menduduh mereka sebagai pengganas.

Dari pandangan wartawan barat, perkataan “wahabi” mempunyai banyak konotasi. Semuanya membawa kepada pandangan bahawa ia adalah pergerakan islam yang dilihat secara tegas mengikut nas-nas di dalam al-Quran dan hadis, tetapi pada masa yang sama menolak untuk mempertimbangkan interpetasi moden yang dipengaruhi oleh barat. Di

Malaysia, perkataan “wahabi” adalah sesuatu terma yang misteri. Ramai menggunakan terma itu untuk memfitnah orang lain, tanpa mengetahui apa maksudnya. Di sesetengah tempat, seorang dituduh sebagai wahabi kerana tidak bersetuju amalan dan kepercayaan karut. Ini termasuklah menggantung gambar Sultan ataupun Sheikh ia membawa kebaikan atau meningkatkan pendapatan mereka, atau mengikat benang hitam pada bayi baru lahir dengan kepercayaan ia akan melindungi bayi itu dari nasib kurang baik, dan pelbagai lagi kepercayaan yang melingkari masyarakat.

Apabila orang ramai mula mengkritik amalan ini, mereka secara mudah berkata “kamu adalah wahabi”.

SOALAN: apa pandangan Dr mengenai situasi politik dan agama di Malaysia secara menyeluruh? Adakah Dr merasa bebas untuk mengamalkan kepada apa yang Dr. percaya? Adakah Malaysia menuju di haluan yang betul atau salah, dan mengapa?

JAWAPAN: Pihak berkuasa agama di Malaysia perlu bersikap lebih terbuka. Sikap mereka ialah untuk memaksa orang lain berfikir pada satu hala, dan itu bukan mereka sikap masyarakat bertamadun. Mereka harus ingat apa yang berlaku kepada gereja apabila enggan berubah dan menekan orang ramai yang ingin perubahan.

SOALAN: Apa matlamat jangka panjang Dr untuk Malaysia? Apa hang Dr ingin lihat dari segi amalan agama di sini?

JAWAPAN: Kini memerlukan “tajdid” dalam masyarakat Islam. Terdapat dua definisi yang membabitkan tajdid. Definisi pertama ialah untuk mengembalikan yang asal seperti mana kita melihat sesuatu yang telah rosak ataupun telah luput. Contoh lebih praktikal ialah membaharui lesen memandu.

Definisi tajdid kedua ialah melibatkan inovasi dalam sesetengah perkara untuk memenuhi kehendak semasa, seperti inovasi kenderaan moden. Dalam perkara ini kita membicarakan sesuatu yang tidak dibentuk sebelum ini, tetapi ia memenuhi kehendak asas yang dikehendaki oleh manusia. Dalam Islam, inovasi perlu dilaksanakan tetapi ia tidak harus mengubah agama tetapi memenuhi keperluan atau pandangan untuk membawa perubahan dengan penuh sabar, tetapi ia tidak harus lari dari asas kehendak al-Quran dan al-Sunnah. Banyak isu kontemperari yang kita hadapi sekarang adalah sesuatu yang tidak berlaku di masa lampau. Untuk memastikan kelangsungan masyarakat, pelbagai pendapat baru diperlukan. Pendapat ahli teologi mungkin tidak salah, tetapi telah luput berikutan perubahan masa dan keadaan.

* Wawancara ini dipetik dari The Wall Street Journal

Thai King, Dragon, Fiona, Singa and Floral.

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:38:55 GMT

Thai King, Dragon, Fiona, Singa and Floral.
After the Massimo brand bread Vs. Gardenia story...here comes the Rice Brand story? WHAT IS MCA DOING ABOUT THIS ??????????

Briefly, this article sets out to describe how BN Govt., using the legislation and economic powers, to erode and eventually take over the rice milling and distribution businesses of the Chinese held companies.

In the eighties, the rice market was mainly controlled by the Chinese carrying such brand names, e.g. Dragon and Pearl, Jasmine, etc. Robert Kuok was then one of the biggest dealers of rice. Mahathir, in pursuit of the NEP policy, instituted the requirement of obtaining APs for the import of the most commodities. The import of Chinese oranges during the CNY festive period was included in this exercise.

Shortly after, the rice market was also targeted by the setting up of Bernas National Bhd. to oversee this policy. Import permits held by the Chinese were rescinded with Bernas being replaced as the sole importer instead. The price of rice was then dictated by Bernas henceforth. All production of padi must only be delivered and sold to Bernas.

Bernas was originally a Government entity. Later, it was divested to Rosmah's family connections. Having taken over this monopoly, Bernas

began to wrest control of wholesale distribution market of this important commodity. Robert Kuok saw through the evil intents of the Government policies and sold off to venture elsewhere.

Not all other rice dealers had his type of potentials and thus had to soldier on despite the mounting harassments and exploitations by Bernas.

In the 90s, Bernas started to absorb the other Chinese rice merchants who had managed to sustain such encroachments thus far. Supplies can be obtained only through Bernas.

After a lapse of another decade, most of the Chinese rice dealers had had to sell off. The remaining one of note is Hock Ju Co. Ltd. the owner of which, Mr. Khoo, stood steadfastly his ground.

The reasons why Bernas could so easily take over the Chinese companies are twofold; viz.
(1) the lifeline of supply is solely in their hands and
(2) the lack of trading capital of the Chinese merchants.

Bernas would extend credit line to the rice merchants and allowed the credits to accumulate to the tune of million of ringgits which amount eventually had to be settled in the form of shares exchange to Bernas.
The one who refused to surrender to Bernas was Hock Ju Edar. It had prepared itself well for this eventuality and its boss is the leader of the Malaysian Rice Merchant Association.

In 2006, Bernas applied pressure on this company by letting it be known that Bernas was interested in acquiring 51 per cent shares of the company. It assured Hock Ju that it will not face rice supplies shortages for its milling operations resulting from this deal.

The other condition was that the company, upon it becoming a part of Bernas, would have to contribute in the million of ringgits to the coffer of BN once every 5 years during national election time. The boss of Hock Ju
forthwith rejected the offer because he did not relish the thought of losing his company which he had toiled and built up through decades so easily and undeservedly.

The matter concerning the political contributions was particularly meaningless to him since he had been running his business scrupulously with no political affiliation whatever.

Not willing to let the matter rest, Bernas officials purposely curtailed his orders for supply of rice by giving lame reasons for such shortages.

During the periods of rice shortages, price fluctuations always favoured the Bernas connected companies.

Hock Ju had to deposit with Bernas a banker's Letter of Guarantee of Ringgit 5 million in lieu of the rice supplies. Suddenly, Bernas informed Hock Ju that the Letter of Credit had to be redeemed in the form of cash within a fortnight. With the support of the bank and its own resources, Hock Ju managed to overcome this problem temporarily.

However, will Bernas cease to harass Hock Ju further with their sinister intentions? The boss of Hock Ju personally feels that he might not be able to hold on much longer against the might of the evil forces and thus become the last vestige of his kind...!!!

You can help by buying the Hock Ju Edar brands - Thai King, Dragon, Fiona, Singa and Floral.

Can Najib survive Scorpene's sting?

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:28:00 GMT

Can Najib survive Scorpene's sting?

Mariam Mokhtar
11:16AM May 7, 2012

Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak sealed his own fate, eleven years ago at a meeting to discuss the Scorpene submarine purchase. The date was 14 July 2001.

As any history student will tell you, the storming of the Bastille in Paris, on the morning of 14 July 1789, signaled the beginning of the French revolution. Every year, the French celebrate their National or Bastille Day, on 14 July.

From now on, Malaysians may also attach some significance to 14 July. It might not be the start of a Malaysian revolution, but it was on 14 July 2001, that Najib held a meeting with DCNI, the subsidiary of the French shipmaker DCN.

Najib, who was the defence minister at the time, had allegedly demanded that the French pay US$1 billion (RM3 billion) to the Malaysian company Perimekar, as a condition for meeting him.

These details were divulged by the French investigators for Suaram, and form only the tip of the iceberg. Their list of witnesses includes Najib, Abdul Razak Baginda and the current Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi. All are required to testify in Paris.

It has not been a good week for the PM. The government's response to the Bersih sit-down protest has attracted international condemnation. In the week which coincided with World Press Freedom Day, his policemen have been accused of brutality and his administration has been villified for media censorship.

Independent foreign observers have criticised Najib for mishandling the peaceful protest, and denying the rakyat their fundamental right to freedom of assembly.

Two newspapers face legal action; the New Straits Times, by an Australian senator, Nicholas Xenophon, because the paper libeled him, and Utusan Malaysia, which ran a front-page story that the Opposition politician Azmin Ali was involved in a tryst.

Diminishing support

With the French court case looming, corruption scandals rocking his cabinet and further delays to GE-13, Najib fears that support for him and his party will diminish further.

Is it any wonder that a few days ago, Najib tried to distract us, by claiming that Bersih's sit-down protest was a plot to topple his government?

Najib's opposition to Bersih 3.0 is a clear indication that Umno knows that it cannot win a clean election. He knows he cannot allow a free and fair election.

That explains the concerted effort by Umno and the Election Commission (EC) to cheat. In desperation, Najib has accused Bersih 3.0 of wanting to turn Dataran Merdeka into Tahrir Square.

In a press conference last week, Suaram confirmed that the French judicial probe had evolved from a "civil complaint" into a "criminal investigation."

The French lawyer acting for Suaram, Joseph Breham said: "Investigations so far have provided sufficient evidence to point our finger at Malaysian officials in this (court) hearing."

Suaram secretariat member and lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri said, "....The parties involved in the scandal would soon be charged in the French criminal court. It's going to be bigger than it already is now".

Suaram secretary-general Cynthia Gabriel (left) called the Scorpene scandal, "the Great Malaysian Robbery" with several companies, including the pilgrimage fund (Lembaga Tabung Haji) and the military servicemen's pension fund (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera) being used to obscure the money trail.

Gabriel said, "The Malaysian and French people have clearly been misled, cheated and robbed of their monies through blatant corruption and mismanagement of funds in the name of national safety and security."

The former finance director of DCN, Gerarde Philippe Maneyas, alleged that Malaysian officials in the deal had been bribed.

With the introduction of new laws in France and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Convention in 2002, bribes made to foreign officials are considered a criminal offence. Previously, these bribes were tax-deductible.

As a result of these laws and the OECD, all documentation relating to arms deals would replace reference to the payment of "commissions" with "payment to service providers".

Terasasi surfaces

The French inquiry also revealed the presence of a previously unknown company, Terasasi, which is owned by the PM's former aide, Abdul Razak Baginda.

Baginda (left) also owned Perimekar, and both these companies received several million euros in commissions and kickbacks. Baginda's wife and father are also linked to Perimekar and Terasasi.

Interestingly, French investigators found an invoice from Terasasi to a French company, Thint Asia International, dated 28 August, 2004 for 359,450 euros (RM1.43 million) with a handwritten note saying: "Razak wants it in a hurry." Needless to say, the race is on to discover which "Razak" this refers to.

Despite the rapid pace of development by the French investigators, members of Najib's cabinet have remained eerily silent.

One thing is clear. Najib cannot be non-committal in future press conferences and abruptly terminate them when any reference is made to Scorpene. He cannot use that old trick of saying he will go the mosque and swear on the Koran. He cannot avoid the French subpoena without risking an international arrest warrant.

Despite the internal power struggles in the upper echelons of Umno, none of those who wish to be PM has appeared to lodge the first knife in his back. Perhaps, they all realise that despite Najib's unpopularity, they have to band together to save their skin.

Najib faces a dilemma. He needs the support of Umno members so he can remain as PM, because it is said that a head of state enjoys immunity while he is in office. Once he stands down, he becomes another ordinary person and will be prosecuted, for any crimes committed.

Najib probably rues the day he entertained the French on July 14, 2001. Even Swiss bank accounts and exile to a "friendly" country are no guarantees of freedom.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real-speak', this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.

60 petty traders plan to set up stalls outside Ambiga's house next week

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:10:29 GMT

60 petty traders plan to set up stalls outside Ambiga's house next week

Monday, 21 May 2012 admin-s

(Bernama) - Sixty petty traders are planning to open up stalls in front of Bersih 3.0 co-chairman Datuk S. Ambiga's house in Bukit Damansara here on Thursday and Friday.

Their spokesman, Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Council chairman Datuk Jamal Md Yunus, said they were calling the action as "Bersih 4.0-Mencucikan Bersih 1,2,3" (Bersih 4.0 - Cleaning up Bersih 1,2.3).

They hoped to recoup the losses they suffered during the Bersih 3.0 rally in the city on April 28.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said the traders would be operating stalls selling household goods, food and drinks from 3.30pm to 8pm on both the days.

"Each of the traders can expect a turnover of between RM300 and RM500 a day by trading there," he said.

He added that they would be applying for the needed permits from the authorities to do business there but would would still go ahead if denied.

Also present at the press conference were representatives from Malay right-wing movement Perkasa and the Malay Legal Council.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/49455-60-petty-traders-plan-to-set-up-stalls-outside-ambigas-house-next-week

Monday, May 21, 2012

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:07:55 GMT

CAUGHT LYING BY THE UN: From Utusan to NST to the Star, Najib shames M'sia
Written by Lin Mui Kiang

The United Nations in Malaysia would like to refer to the article published in The Star newspaper on May 7, 2012 titled “Police: Tear gas used at rally safe, UN-approved’.
We very much regret that the UN in Malaysia was not consulted before the publication of this article as it contains serious inaccuracies. The UN has consistently condemned the excessive use of force, including through the use of tear gas.
Please also note that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council have on various occasions publicly expressed concerns about reliable reports indicating that civilians who died from tear gas suffered complications from gas inhalation, and that security forces have been firing metal tear gas canisters from grenade launchers into crowds.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression after his mission to the Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in December 2011 noted that "while the use of tear gas to disperse a crowd may be legitimate under certain circumstances, tear gas canisters should never be fired directly at demonstrators."
Moreover, unlike what is alleged in the article, the UN does not set international standards on different kinds of irritants, nor has the UN approved ‘CS Gas’ as a ‘riot control’ agent.
Journalists AND public officials should be professional

As far as the use of force is concerned, the relevant UN instrument is the Basic Principles on the use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, which was adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1990, not the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 1993. I provide its general provisions below:
1. Governments and law enforcement agencies shall adopt and implement rules and regulations on the use of force and firearms against persons by law enforcement officials. In developing such rules and regulations, Governments and law enforcement agencies shall keep the ethical issues associated with the use of force and firearms constantly under review.
2. Governments and law enforcement agencies should develop a range of means as broad as possible and equip law enforcement officials with various types of weapons and ammunition that would allow for a differentiated use of force and firearms. These should include the development of non-lethal incapacitating weapons for use in appropriate situations, with a view to increasingly restraining the application of means capable of causing death or injury to persons. For the same purpose, it should also be possible for law enforcement officials to be equipped with self-defensive equipment such as shields, helmets, bullet-proof vests and bullet-proof means of transportation, in order to decrease the need to use weapons of any kind.
3. The development and deployment of non-lethal incapacitating weapons should be carefully evaluated in order to minimize the risk of endangering uninvolved persons, and the use of such weapons should be carefully controlled.
4. Law enforcement officials, in carrying out their duty, shall, as far as possible, apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms. They may use force and firearms only if other means remain ineffective or without any promise of achieving the intended result.
5. Whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall:
( a ) Exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved;
( b ) Minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life;
( c ) Ensure that assistance and medical aid are rendered to any injured or affected persons at the earliest possible moment;
( d ) Ensure that relatives or close friends of the injured or affected person are notified at the earliest possible moment.
6. Where injury or death is caused by the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials, they shall report the incident promptly to their superiors, in accordance with principle 22.
7. Governments shall ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offence under their law.
8. Exceptional circumstances such as internal political instability or any other public emergency may not be invoked to justify any departure from these basic principles.
We at the United Nations appeal to all journalists to correctly and accurately research and report all matters and procedures related to the UN. We believe that such professionalism should also extend to all public officials.

Dr Lin Mui Kiang is the United Nations Coordination Specialist, Malaysia

How Astro censors international news feeds

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:03:08 GMT

How Astro censors international news feeds

Fri 2012-May-18 @ MYT 10:54:52 am

Asia Sentinel, the Hong Kong-based news web site, has named news controller Vincent de Paul as Astro’s “censor” of international news in a report that takes a peek into how Astro deals with news bulletins from international broadcasters.

Two weeks ago both the BBC and Al Jazeera complained that their news bulletins on the Bersih rally of April 28 were chopped up before rebroadcast to Astro subscribers.

In a piece at the Sentinel yesterday, John Berthelsen wrote:

“

On Vincent de Paul as Astro censor

According to a former Astro employee, the television news feeds are routed through a small room in the Astro headquarters, where electronic devices search the broadcasts for keywords that may be objectionable to government officials. The censorship section is headed by a “news controller” named Vincent de Paul, Asia Sentinel was told. Repeated calls to the Astro office in Kuala Lumpur, including attempts to speak with de Paul, were unsuccessful.

“They always censored stuff in that room downstairs and they were very proud of it,” said the former employee. “Vincent de Paul basically watches it. The worry was CNBC. He was carving out word for word what they were saying because they often mentioned Anwar.”

On censorship of interntional news

Malaysia’s mainstream media are all controlled … and all are closely monitored…It had been assumed, however, that the international news from satellite channels had remained uncensored.

“We will be asking Astro for an explanation as to why Harry Fawcett’s report of the rally in Malaysia was apparently censored,” said Osama Saeed, head of international and media relations for Al Jazeera in Doha, in a prepared release. “If Astro are indeed saying that it breached ‘local content regulations,’ they would need to outline exactly what these alleged breaches were and how they arrived at their decision.

“If Astro are censoring output, then they should make clear to viewers and to broadcasters as and when it happens. We have had no communication on this incident from Astro. Our news report was a factual account of events that day, and intrusion in our editorial process is unwarranted. We have not been censored in this way by another distribution platform anywhere in the world.”

On Harry Fawcett’s report

Al Jazeera reporter Harry Fawcett attempted to film police beating protesters into the ground. However, Fawcett was roughed up and his own camera was pushed to the ground. When the episode was shown on the Al Jazeera broadcast that night, an Al Jazeera spokesman said the police violence had been excised in Malaysia.

http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/how-astro-censors-news-feeds/