Archive for June, 2007

SMC’s 25 Years Celebration

June 1st, 2007
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SMC’s 25th anniversary a time to rejoice over achievements
 

By WANI MUTHIAH

wani@thestar.com.my 

THE Sri Murugan Centre’s recent 25th anniversary celebration was filled with nostalgia as well as a sense of great achievement. 

Attended by scores of parents, students, volunteers and well-wishers, the event which was held at Universiti Malaya (UM), highlighted SMC’s strength as well as its growth over the years. 

One of the highlights of the event was the acknowledgement accorded to a group of former UM undergraduates who had helped founder Datuk Dr M. Thambirajah initiate the SMC in 1982. 

The group of 42, led by Kedah deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm (II) A. Thaiveegan who was then the university’s Tamil Language Society chairman, had set out to draft the initial modules and start tuition classes for Form Six students. 

Recognition: Prakash Rao being awarded the SMC Outstanding Student Award by his mentor Thambirajah at the event.

Not all of the 42 were able to make it for the event but Thambirajah honoured the 33 who did, which included Thaiveegan and his wife Komodhi, with garlands and mementoes. 

One of the centre’s co-directors Prakash Rao also received the SMC’s outstanding student award, for his achievements since he first started attending tutorial classes as a Form Six student in Ipoh. 

Prakash, 41, not only excelled academically but also returned to the SMC and has been a pivotal figure at the centre for the last 15 years. 

Meanwhile, SMC co-director K. Suraindran said the large turnout at the event indicated SMC’s successful journey from the time of its inception. 

He added that the event also highlighted SMC’s plans for the future. 

“We indicated at the event that the SMC is looking at a different direction now in addition to being a centre for academic excellence,” Suraindran said. 

According to him, besides continuing to help Indian students excel academically, the SMC would also be concentrating in creating Indian Malaysians with values par excellence. 

“When the SMC first started, Indian families were not conscious about the importance of education but now they are. 

“So, we are looking at other areas of development as what we had initially set out to do has been achieved,” he added. 

Among the guests at the event were deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk S. Veerasingam, National Land Finance Cooperative Society executive chairman Tan Sri K.S. Somasundaram, Housing and Local Government Ministry parliamentary secretary Dr S. Subramaniam, Education Ministry parliamentary secretary Komala Krishna Moorthy and Selangor executive councillor Kamala Ganapathy. 

5th Global Indian Shopping Festival – Midvalley 1 to 10 June

June 1st, 2007
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Fifth Indian shopping fiesta at Mid Valley
KUALA LUMPUR: Planning to go to India to look for the latest saree for a special occasion?

You may want to stop by the Mid Valley Megamall first.

The Mid Valley Exhibition Centre has been turned into a "Little India" from today for the Global Indian Shopping Festival 2007.

Sarees, bangles, decorative items and Indian sweets are just some of the attractions at the 10-day festival, which is being held for the fifth time at the shopping mall.

Organised by ASC Agenda Suria Communication Sdn Bhd, the festival also offers numerous contests, dance displays, concerts and fashion shows.
"This year, we have more exhibitors from states like Orrisa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. The prices are also cheaper as we have special clearance from the Customs Department," said company director Jaggarao Simancha.

There will be a total of 218 exhibition booths.

The highlight is a traditional Hindu wedding called "Kettimelam Kalyanam" for three lucky couples.

Jaggarao said last year’s festival raked in RM12 million and he expected this year’s revenue to rise to RM20 million. More than 300,000 visitors are expected to turn up for the festival.

PM view on Lina Joy case – Malay papers

June 1st, 2007
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PM affirms that Constitution is the highest authority.
 
Kes Lina Joy: PM minta usah ikut emosi
 
 
Oleh Anwar Hussin, Saufi Hamzah dan Rohaniza Idris

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata, semua pihak perlu menerima keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan berhubung kes Azlina Jailani atau Lina Joy, dengan terbuka dan tidak membenarkan diri mereka dipengaruhi emosi.
 
Perdana Menteri menegaskan, kerajaan tidak pernah mempengaruhi mahkamah untuk membuat sebarang keputusan, termasuk berhubung kes Lina Joy yang merayu di Mahkamah Persekutuan untuk menggugurkan perkataan Islam dalam kad pengenalannya

“Kalau kita membenarkan emosi mempengaruhi kita, kita akan fikir macam-macam… syak itu dan ini,” katanya pada sidang media selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi (MT) Umno di sini, petang semalam.

Abdullah yang juga Presiden Umno diminta mengulas mengenai reaksi pelbagai pihak berikutan keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan kelmarin yang menolak rayuan Lina Joy yang mengaku murtad sejak 17 tahun lalu untuk menggugurkan perkataan Islam dalam kad pengenalannya.

Mahkamah menegaskan Azlina, 42, atau nama Kristiannya, Lina Joy perlu mendapatkan perakuan bahawa dia sudah murtad daripada Mahkamah Syariah sebelum Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) boleh menggugurkan perkataan Islam dalam kad pengenalannya.

Ditanya sama ada keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan itu melebarkan jurang perbezaan agama di negara ini, Abdullah berkata: “Saya tidak fikir ada jurang perbezaan yang luas walaupun perbincangan berhubung agama semakin meluas”.

Sementara itu, Abdullah menyifatkan media Barat yang memburukkan Malaysia dengan mendakwa tidak mempraktikkan kebebasan agama selepas tidak berpuas hati dengan keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan itu sebagai jahil mengenai negara ini.

“Mereka mempunyai persepsi salah mengenai apa yang kita boleh lakukan. Ini adalah keputusan mahkamah, saya tidak mempersoalkannya. Ada banyak keputusan yang dilakukan mahkamah dan (kadangkala) kita tidak berpuas hati tetapi apa yang boleh kita buat,” katanya.

Perdana Menteri berkata, Malaysia juga tidak pernah menolak kebebasan beragama dan perkara itu jelas terbukti kerana jika tidak, sudah tentu tiada penganut Kristian atau gereja untuk mereka di negara ini.

Beliau turut menyangkal dakwaan media asing kononnya undang-undang Islam kini mengatasi Perlembagaan Persekutuan.
 

Terima keputusan Lina Joy – PM

source

Oleh: HAMDEN RAMLI

KUALA LUMPUR 31 Mei – Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi meminta rakyat supaya menerima keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan dalam kes Azlina Jailani atau Lina Joy dengan terbuka dan tidak membenarkan diri mereka dipengaruhi emosi.

Perdana Menteri berkata, sekiranya masyarakat menerima keputusan itu dengan emosi dikhuatiri ia boleh menimbulkan pelbagai syak wasangka.

“Kalau kita membenarkan emosi mempengaruhi kita, kita fikir macam-macam, syak itu, syak ini,” katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi UMNO di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra di sini, hari ini.

Perdana Menteri berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan semalam menolak permohonan Lina Joy yang mengaku murtad sejak 17 tahun lalu untuk menggugurkan perkataan Islam dalam kad pengenalannya dengan penghakiman secara majoriti 2-1.

Mahkamah menegaskan Azlina, 42, yang menukar namanya kepada Lina Joy perlu mendapatkan perakuan daripada Mahkamah Syariah bahawa dia telah murtad sebelum Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) boleh menggugurkan perkataan Islam dalam kad pengenalannya.

Menurut Abdullah, kerajaan tidak pernah mempengaruhi mahkamah dalam membuat sesuatu keputusan.

“Tiada campur tangan politik. Ini keputusan mahkamah dan saya percaya hakim yang membuat keputusan ini telah mengambil kira semua aspek,” tegas beliau.

Dengan keputusan itu juga, kata Perdana Menteri, ia tidak bermakna Malaysia menolak agama Kristian seperti yang dilaporkan BBC yang bertajuk Malaysia Reject Christianity.

“Jika Malaysia menolak agama Kristian, tidak adalah agama itu di negara ini. Tidak adalah gereja-gereja,” katanya.

Ditanya sama ada keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan itu akan melebarkan jurang perbezaan agama di negara ini, Abdullah berkata: “Saya tidak fikir ada jurang perbezaan yang luas walaupun perbincangan berhubung agama semakin meluas.”

Mengenai persepsi buruk masyarakat antarabangsa terhadap negara berikutan penyiaran meluas keputusan kes berkenaan, Perdana Menteri berkata, tidak banyak yang boleh dilakukan kerana ia adalah keputusan mahkamah

“Ada banyak keputusan yang telah dibuat oleh mahkamah dan banyak juga yang tidak menggembirakan sesetengah pihak, apa yang kita boleh buat,” ujarnya.

Pada masa yang sama, Abdullah turut menyangkal dakwaan seorang wartawan media asing bahawa undang-undang Islam kini mengatasi Perlembagaan Persekutuan negara ini.

“Tak ada perkara macam itu (undang-undang Islam mengatasi Perlembagaan Persekutuan). Perlembagaan Persekutuan ialah Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Ada satu set undang-undang yang perlu kita patuhi. Ia merupakan sesuatu yang perlu kita patuhi, itu sahaja,” katanya.

Dalam penghakiman semalam, Ketua Hakim Negara, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim dan Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan, Datuk Alauddin Mohd Sherif menolak rayuan tersebut, manakala Hakim Besar Sabah dan Sarawak, Datuk Richard Malanjum membenarkan permohonan itu.

Hakim Ahmad Fairuz berkata, JPN berhak mengenakan syarat kepada Lina Joy supaya mengemukakan sijil atau deklarasi atau perintah Mahkamah Syariah untuk mengesahkan dia murtad sebelum boleh menggugurkan perkataan ‘Islam’ daripada kad pengenalannya itu.

Hakim Malanjum pula berpendapat arahan JPN supaya Lina Joy mengemukakan sijil murtad dari Mahkamah Syariah Wilayah Persekutuan tidak munasabah kerana walaupun jabatan tersebut tidak melakukan apa-apa kesalahan undang-undang, namun adalah mustahil bagi syarat itu dipatuhi.

twins receive citizenship

June 1st, 2007
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Relief for guardians as twins receive citizenship
 

KUALA LUMPUR: The guardians of Jahira and Jannath Beevi, 10, can heave a sigh of relief. The twin girls have received their Malaysian citizenship. 

This was all thanks to the efforts of their “godfather” Negri Sembilan executive council member Datuk T. Rajagopalu. 

The twins' predicament started six months after they were born in India. 

Their mother, Rahmaht Bibi, married Indian national Sirajudeen in June 1994 and gave birth to the twins on Dec 4, 1997. Six months later, Rahmaht became a quadriplegic and was abandoned by her husband. 

Rahmaht's father, Mohd Ibrahim Abdul Razak, 68, obtained Indian passports for the twins and took them back in 1998. 

When Rahmaht died in February 1999, Mohd Ibrahim approached Rajagopalu for help. 

Rajagopalu thanked Home Affairs Ministry secretary general Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat for approving the twins' application for citizenship.  

Mohd Ibrahim, who is getting RM300 as welfare assistance for the twins, said: “A huge burden has been taken off our shoulders as we were worried about their future.” 

The twins are studying in Year Four in SJK (T) San Peng.

Federal Constitution must remain supreme

June 1st, 2007
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Bar Council: Federal Constitution must remain supreme

PETALING JAYA: The Bar Council supports the minority judgment of Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum that no court or authority should be easily allowed to have implied powers to curtail rights that are constitutionally granted. 

Its president S. Ambiga said the Federal Constitution “is and must remain in law, supreme.” 

“In an event of any inconsistency or conflict between the provisions of State Enactments and of the Federal Constitution, the latter must prevail,” she said in a statement yesterday. 

On Wednesday, the Federal Court rejected Lina JoyÂ’s appeal to compel the National Registration Department (NRD) to remove the word “Islam” from her identity card. 

Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and Federal Court Justice Alauddin Mohd Sheriff voted against her appeal and said conversion issues should be dealt with by the Syariah Court. 

In his dissenting judgement, Justice Malanjum described the NRD’s insistence that Lina Joy obtain a certificate of apostasy from the Federal Territory Syariah Court or any Islamic authority as illegal and unreasonable. 

Ambiga said: “We are mindful that issues relating to religion will inevitably draw emotive responses in a multireligious society. 

“Malaysians must be prepared to confront these issues maturely and dispassionately within the framework of our Federal Constitution as the supreme law of the land.” 

Council of Churches of Malaysia general-secretary Rev Dr Herman Shastri said it viewed the Federal Court’s decision with regret and concern. 

“We believe that the constitutional provision in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees freedom of religion in our country has been severely violated,” he said. 

He said the majority judgement had denied the individual the right to freedom of conscience and choice of religion.  

“It is, therefore, vital that the necessary legislation be enacted to ensure that no citizen would be penalised when he or she exercises the individual right to choose a faith and to practice it in freedom,” he said.