| thanks to MK for highlighting this. nothing in the star and nst about PM's birthday (yet). btw, i'll be covering the merdeka center survey next. oh..there's also the "remove the cross" from school issue to settle. my…my…hands are getting full!
Abdullah: I'll continue with my style |
|
|
|
|
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said he will continue with his style of administration since Malaysians are happy with it. Responding to a finding of a recent survey, Abdullah said that he was happy with the survey that showed Malaysians were happy with the administration of the present government. quoted Abdullah as saying. “We will continue to administer the country like we are doing now,” he added. The premier, talking to journalists at the end of his two-day visit to Egypt, also said that he welcomed constructive criticism from everyone. “If someone wants to criticise, then it is fine as long as it is constructive criticism and we will try to do whatever possible to overcome the problems we face. "The important thing is that we will do everything possible to ensure success of the national vision to uplift all Malaysians. To those who supported the current government, I wish to say thank you. "To those who criticise, I would also say thank you but please ensure the criticisms are fair and not overboard, do not make your own conclusions without knowing the truth," he said. Economy, safety and corruption Bernama also reported that Abdullah, who turned 68 today, when asked what was his birthday wish, he said: "I just want to stay healthy and be happy". The survey, conducted by the Merdeka Center for the New Straits Times, found “a stable and positive voter support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Barisan Nasional government”. It said that the public confidence in the PM and the government remained stable and positive despite some major concerns. The survey – polled among 1,024 respondents – indicated that Malaysians were concerned on economy, public safety and corruption. One in five respondents had listed price hikes, the rising cost of living, jobs and other economic issues as the "most important problem affecting Malaysia today". Crime and public safety came in as the second biggest concern while the third biggest concern was corruption. |
Archive for November, 2007
Happy birthday pak lah!
November 27th, 2007
Hindu Sangam makes u-turn on rally
November 27th, 2007the same MHS which sat with glum faces behind MIC info chief saravanan saying they don't support the hindraf rally, now comes out with another statement saying its a wake-up call.
quote: "Malaysia Hindu Sangam national central council member C.M. Kopalan said the MIC and the Government had helped to fund, build, repair as well as settle relocation and land issues for temples nationwide."
| Hindu Sangam: Rally a 'wake up call' http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75365 |
|
|
|
|
The authorities must listen to the grievances aired by some 30,000 Indian Malaysians who participated in Sunday’s rally, said the Malaysian Hindu Sangam (MHS). Describing it as a “wake up call for all Malaysians”, the influential Hindu umbrella body said the government must stop “festering wounds” within the Indian community from becoming worse. “It is clear that there are tens of thousands of Indians in Malaysia who feel the government is not protecting their best interests,” said MHS president A Vaithilingam in a statement today. Among others, he said, demonstrators were angered by the government and court’s inaction over infringements of religious freedoms by the “Islamic authorities”. He cites ‘corpse-snatching’ cases between Islamic authorities and Hindus as well as the demolition of Hindu temples as examples. “Almost all the victims (of infringements of religious freedoms) have been Hindus, fueling anger amongst the community,” he added. Immediate measures “The unprecedented pictures of local authority enforcement officers throwing stones at devotees and at the temple caused an uproar amongst the Indian community,” he said. He further urged the government to take immediate measures to improve the socio-economic conditions of the Indian community and to ensure that the nation’s wealth is distributed equitably amongst all Malaysians. He also urged the government to make legislative reforms to protect religious freedoms. “We call on the courts to start acting in their role as the guardians of the fundamental liberties of minorities against oppression by the majority,” he said. |
minister azmi says many indians studying medicine as proof community is well off
November 27th, 2007'Indians are not marginalised'
source
BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, Tue.:
The Indians in Malaysia are not marginalised as claimed by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the organiser of Sunday’s illegal assembly, a cabinet minister said today.
Pointing out that the rally was evidently politically-motivated, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said the Indians were given ample opportunities including advancing themselves in education.
Azmi said that during his visits to universities in Indonesia, the Caribbean countries and Russia, most of the Malaysian students studying medicine were Indians.
“Why must they talk about being neglected? We have more Malaysian Indians studying medicine in Indonesian universities compared with the Malays and other races.
“So from where the money came from? Definitely they got it from the opportunities to earn money in this country,” he told reporters after opening a conference on Forestry and Forest Products Research.
Illegal rallies would jeopardise foreign investments to the country which would in turn harm the nation’s economy and the people’s well-being, he added.
Thousands of Hindraf supporters gathered in the heart of Kuala Lumpur last Sunday to support the handing over of a petition to the British High Commission asking Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen’s Counsel to represent the Indian community in a class action suit against the British Government for bringing Indians as indentured labourers to the then Malaya and exploiting them.
Hindraf has filed a US$4 trillion (RM13.5 trillion) suit in London claiming that the British were to blame for the marginalisation of Indians in Malaysia.
MP Parit Sulong says destroy statues and destroy crosses in missionary schools
November 27th, 2007taken from http://www.parlimen.gov.my/hindex/pdf/DR-29102007.pdf – mukasurat 143-144.
Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong] : …..Tuan Yang di-Pertua, saya ingin menyentuh satu perkara tentang Kementerian Pelajaran iaitu sekolah-sekolah mubaligh seperti Convent, La Salle, Methodist dan sebagainya. Saya difahamkan Lembaga Pengarah di sekolah-sekolah ini sebahagiannya ditadbir dari gereja-gereja di luar negara seperti di Vatican City. Saya juga difahamkan permohonan untuk membina surau
di sebahagian sekolah-sekolah ini terpaksa mendapat kebenaran daripada Lembaga Pengarah yang mana Lembaga Pengarah ini sebahagiannya ditadbir oleh gereja. Jadi amat memalukanlah, bagi diri saya, tentang pentadbiran sekolah-sekolah ini yang masih lagi dikawal oleh pihak gereja. Begitu juga saya difahamkan tentang iklim sekolah-sekolah tersebut, banyak ibu bapa Islam menghantar anak-anak mereka ke sana, mereka kompelin sebab ada kalanya sekolah dimulakan dengan lagu-lagu gereja. Ini saya tidak tahu benar atau tidak, tetapi ia apa yang saya dapat daripada ibu bapa sendiri tetapi yang jelas di sekolahsekolah
ini terpampang simbol-simbol agama. Saya rasa kecewa di dalam negara Islam, Malaysia ini, kalau saya pergi ke sekolah convent, ada terpampang patung St. Mary di depan depan sekolah convent…
Datuk Haji Mohamad bin Haji Aziz [Sri Gading] : [Bangun]
Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Silakan Yang Berhormat bagi Sri Gading.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Yusof bin Yacob]: Ya, Yang Berhormat bagi Sri Gading.
Datuk Haji Mohamad bin Haji Aziz [Sri Gading]: Bagi saya sudah tidak terkejut, Yang Berhormat bagi Parit Sulong, cerita ini… [Disampuk] Bukan soal biasa. Soalnya kenapa boleh berlaku seperti ini? Satu. Hari Raya yang lepas, saya diberitahu oleh seorang bapa, waktu Aidilfitri disambut, sekolah jenis-jenis ini tidak ditutup. Terima kasih.
Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Bukan sahaja patung, tetapi Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat pergilah, tengoklah salib Kristian diletakkan di depan-depan sekolah. Saya tidak faham Kementerian Pelajaran, adakah pegawai-pegawai tidak nampak atau memang dasar kita membenarkan perkara ini. Walau bagaimanapun, saya sebagai orang yang bertanggungjawab kepada diri saya, agama, bangsa dan tanah air ini, saya menyatakan pendirian saya bahawa patung-patung ini hendaklah dirobohkan, salib-salib ini hendaklah dimusnahkan dan pengaruhpengaruh gereja di sekolah-sekolah ini hendaklah dihentikan.
Begitu juga dana yang dikumpulkan di sekolah-sekolah ini. Adakah kita mendapat laporan? Kalau boleh kementerian mendedahkan dana sekolah-sekolah ini. Saya difahamkan ada sekolah-sekolah ini juga ditaja oleh pihak-pihak gereja. Dana-dananya datang daripada gereja-gereja dan adakah pihak kementerian pantau sumber-sumbernya? Adakah audit-audit dilaksanakan?
and i received this from a forwarded email:
Below is the translation of the hansard at the Third Meeting of The Fourth Session of Eleventh Parliament (Dewan Rakyat) on Monday, 29 October 2007 as seen at http://www.parlimen.gov.my/hindex/pdf/DR-29102007.pdf – pages 143-144.
Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Yang Di-Pertua, I would like to touch on a matter regarding the Ministry of Education, which are Christian missionary schools like Convent, La Salle, Methodist, and so forth. I was made to understand that the Board of Directors at these schools are partially administered by churches in foreign countries, for example in the Vatican City. I was also made to understand that the application to build a 'surau' in some of these schools had to go through the approval of these Board of Directors whereby they are partially administered by the church. Therefore, it shames me that the school administrations are still controlled by the church. I was also made to understand that many Muslim parents send their kids to these schools, and that they have complained that sometimes, the school is started with church songs. I do not know if this is true, but what I discovered from these parents are the display of religious symbols. I feel disappointed that in an Islamic country, Malaysia, if I go to a convent school, the statue of St. Mary is displayed in the front of the school.
Datuk Haji Mohamad bin Haji Aziz [Sri Gading]: [Stands up]
Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Please proceed, Yang Berhormat for Sri Gading.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Yusof bin Yacob]: Yes, Yang Berhormat for Sri Gading.
Datuk Haji Mohamad bin Haji Aziz [Sri Gading]: I am not shocked at all, Yang Berhormat for Parit Sulong. It's not just a simple question. The question is, why has this happened? One. During the last Hari Raya, I was told by a father, when Aidilfitri was celebrated, these types of schools were not closed. Thank you.
Tuan Syed Hood bin Syed Edros [Parit Sulong]: Not only statues, but fellow Yang Berhormat, go and see for yourselves, Christian crosses are displayed in front of schools. I do not understand the Ministry of Education, did the officers not see that, or is it our policy to allow such a thing? Nevertheless, I, as a responsible person to my religion, race, and country, I state my views that these statues need to be demolished, these crosses need to be destroyed and church influences in these schools need to be stopped. Also, the funds that are collected at these schools. Do we have a report? If possible, the ministry should reveal the funds for these schools. I was made to understand that these schools are also sponsored by the church.
Translation taken from:
http://www.darnmalaysia.com/2007/11/23/morons-of-parliament-demolish-christian-statues-destroy-the-crosses/
nazri calls assembly attendees penyangak
November 27th, 2007aiyoo…some of my friends are now penyangak! my wife is now also penyangak! err…my dog too is penyangak? the professionals, group of singapore PRs, the chinese uncle, the taxi driver…all penyangak!!! oh my god, we have 20,000 crooks…police, what are you doing????
anyway, nazri accepts the figure 20,000 while police say some 4000-5000, MK says 30,000.
nazri sar, if the buses were not blocked, maybe can reach a higher figure. and if take into consideration all the govt staff threatened with sacking, plus those who are present in spirit to support their family members, friends, neighbors etc., we could be looking at 1 million people perhaps? oh ya…no forgetting our people in black and white.
in the end, samy vellu did say that nazri is a good person.
-"On Nazri comments yesterday that Devamany should quit the MIC, Samy Vellu said: “In parliament we can say so many things… Nazri is a good person. Sometimes he might say something but he may not mean it.”
| 'Gathering of crooks' hasn't tainted community's image http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75339 |
|
|
|
|
The mammoth rally which saw about 30,000 Indians taking to the streets has not tarnished the government’s view of the community, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz. (crooks) who participated in the rally would not jeopardise our viewpoint of the entire community," he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today. "There were hundreds of thousands of Indians who did not participate in the rally. They stayed back and showed that they still support the government," he added. He also questioned the rationale of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which aimed to submit a petition to the British High Commission. Hindraf, which organised the rally, wanted to submit a petition to Queen Elizabeth II asking Her Majesty to appoint a Queen’s Counsel to represent the organisation in its class-action suit against the British government. Baseless accusations "All the allegations put forward by them (Hindraf) that Indians are marginalised are lies and nothing more than accusations," he said, adding that the government would trace those who are responsible for the gathering and charge them in court. However, he denied the possibility of using the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the perpetrators. "We will not use the ISA. If we do, they will fire back at us saying that we're using the law unnecessarily. But we will use other laws, and among the penalties could be prison sentence," he said. |
"If they want to submit a petition or a memorandum, they should just send it to the Prime Minister's Department. There's no need for a street rally," said Nazri.