Posts Tagged ‘discrimination’

be friends with Si Mata Sepet and Si Botol

September 27th, 2010
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Yet another seditious statement? I’m not sure if the program is a government event or if the person is speaking in official capacity (God help him if he did!).

At the very least, the person mentioning (implying) a religious places in bad faith, is not fit to be a person of  any faith.

I’m really not concerned on who rules the country, as long as its the best person(s) for the job. That’s what right-thinking person would think, I suppose.

National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director Hamim Husin today proclaimed Malay rights as a mandate to rule the country amid a spike in Malay rhetoric.

Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently warned Malays that they would lose power if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took control of Putrajaya.

“The rights of Malays, is to rule the country. Simple,” Hamim told Puteri Umno delegates in a closed-door function today.

“Malays must unite in the face of threats,” he added.

The BTN Federal Territory deputy director cited an example where the Malay ruling party failed to act during a purportedly seditious demonstration by non-Muslims in Kuala Lumpur a few years ago.

“The Hindus marched to Parliament to send a memorandum. They, like Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force), are groups that spread sedition,” said Hamim. [is marching to Parliament to send memorandum seditious????]

“Where was the political party then?” he asked.

About 30,000 protestors from the Hindu non-governmental organisation Hindraf had rallied in the city in November 2007 to submit a memorandum to the British embassy, where they demanded for the Queen’s Counsel to represent sidelined Malaysian Indians.

Today, Hamim underscored the importance of Malay unity in view of a possibility that snap polls may be called as early as next year.

“The general election is coming soon. If there is still disunity, we cannot have events like this… where we can say what we want,” he said.

Last Tuesday, Dr Mahathir said the Malays were not aware of the political threat facing them as they were divided into three groups (PAS, PKR, Umno), where no one group could obtain a percentage of Malay votes that can secure power for the community.

He also claimed that the political marginalisation of the Malays had already become a reality in PR-controlled states even though those administrations were led by Malays.

The former Umno president, who still commands widespread influence among party members and the larger Malay community, pointed to the former PR mentri besar in Perak Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as an example of how Malay politicians had been sidelined by PR.

Dr Mahathir also implied that a Chinese or an Indian could become prime minister if PR took federal power because there was no constitutional restriction on race for the position.

Today, Hamim also urged Puteri Umno to make sacrifices in a bid to defend Malay rights.

“In the context of Malay rights, don’t just demand for your rights. You must ask, ‘what must I sacrifice to defend my rights?’” he said.

Hamim stressed that the Malays could not rule the country without co-operating with the non-Malay communities as each citizen only carried a single vote.

“Malays cannot rule the country by themselves. That’s why we make friends with the MCA and MIC,” he said. [Wow! call them names, and yet want to be friends???]

“The ‘si mata sepet’ that has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The ‘si botol’ that only knows how to go up to Batu Caves up and down only has one vote,” said Hamim, using apparently derogatory terms to describe the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaysia. [This is racial profiling. It can be also constituted as hate crime because inciting the audience against some particular race. Racism essentially means you claim your race is the best (or better) and/or denying others their rights based on race. So, not sure if the statement is racist. However it can be seditious because it mentions Batu Caves, a religious place for Hindus.  Also, I know of some “mata sepet” who goes to mosque and surau. Hekc, there are few hundred millions of them in China! This guy may be in very, very deep trouble]

“So Puteri Umno must make friends with youths who are not Malays,” he added. [false friendship? can we generalise and say, steer far away from Puteri UMNO now?]

He also exhorted Puteri Umno to recruit youths born from marriages with foreigners into their party.

“There are many foreigners who have children here. Their daughters and sons who have turned 18 should be in Puteri and Putera Umno,” said Hamim. [you mean those married to Indonesians, Bosnians, Pakistanis, Indians, Iranians, Nigerians, Middle East folks, Americans,  etc.? Looks like the “Malay” blood becomes quite diluted.]

“You are losing them… thousands of them. You should be collecting them and network with them,” he added.

HRP brings identification document case to NRD

September 26th, 2010
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Well done! Its a good move by HRP. I agree its not a easy thing to do as lot of time and patience is required (imagine discussing for eight hours! And that too just to complete application and submit it). Just imagine the illiterate and underserved members of public going through this process. Most likely give up due to the various rules and regulations, and restrictions. Not everyone can do, even though many can talk about it. Hopefully this batch of 10 people get some good news in two months time (but I have my doubts).

With MIC running their SITF programs in few places, hopefully can see some cases coming to a good closure.

The Human Rights Party (HRP) claims it has achieved its aim of upholding the constitutional right for freedom of religion, in bringing relief to 10 Indian Malaysians who were caught in conversion turmoil for years.

The 10 victims of allegedly forced conversions are from the three families of Rajina a/p Krishnan, Rani a/p Kandasamy and Banggarma a/p Subramaniam (left).

On Tuesday, HRP central committee member S Thiagarajan took them to the National Registration Department (NRD) headquarters in Putrajaya to iron out the long outstanding issue with seven NRD officers.
According to Thiagarajan, it took over eight hours of persuasion and reasoning with the NRD officers headed by NRD’s births, deaths and adoptions deputy director I Azliza Shaharudin to complete this application process for the change of name.

Initially, HRP encountered resistance from Azliza who after perusal of the documents, rejected the applications on the grounds that these three cases should be brought to the Syariah Court for the change of name and religion to Hindu.
After obtaining the Syariah Court order, only then should they apply for changes in their identity cards and birth certificates at the NRD, she had stated.

Constitutional aspects discussed
But HRP instead briefed Azliza and her officers on the constitutional and legal aspects as well as the United Nations (UN) International Covenant provisions that stated:
1) By virtue of Section 6 of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Special Provisions) Act 1975 “A registrar (of births) shall record such particulars as may be prescribed in a report book in the prescribed form concerning any birth or death given to him by any person qualified to do so.
2) Article 11 of the federal constitution (freedom of religion) and 11(1) that says “every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and to propagate it”.
3) The federal constitution is the highest law of the country and is above all other laws, with no disrespect including Islamic laws which are only subsidiary to the federal constitution.
4) Article 14 of the federal constitution read with Part II of the Second Schedule provides for citizenship by “operation of law” and “for every person born within the federation of whose parents one at least is at the time of birth either a citizen or permanently resident in the federation.
5) Article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (that Malaysia ratified in 1995) provides, “The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents”.
6) It also states parties shall ensure the implementation of these rights in accordance with their national law and their obligations under the relevant international instruments in this field, in particular where the child would otherwise be stateless.
After HRP’s briefing on the six rights, Azliza called the respective NRD officers to look into the various conversion cases.
Rajina’s two-year-old son Tinesh has no birth certificate, since the NRD office in Johor had at the birth of her son refused to include the name of his natural father Mahendran a/l Habimanan and his religion as Hindu in his birth certificate.
Then for Banggarma’s two children, Hisyanthini and Kanagaraj, application forms were sought to change their religious status to Hindu and include their father’s name Sockalingam a/l Suppiah into their birth certificates, which column had been filled up with the words “Maklumat Tidak Diperolehi” (details not available).
Thiagarajan had also questioned Azliza as to how this could happen when the mother had confirmed that Sockalingam is the natural father, pointing out that this is in contravention of Section 5(1)(a) and (b) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1975.
Rani had been told that the amendments she sought in the birth certificates of her children could not be carried out as the birth certificate is only issued once in their life time and it is to remain the history of their birth.
The application to change the name and the status from Islam to Hindu was rejected by virtue of Section 15(1) of the Registration Births and Deaths Act 1975.

‘NRD must be independent’
However HRP informed the families that they could use Section 27(3) of the same Act to make corrections to the name and their religious status.
Rani and others with officer - HRP, converts meeting with NRDThey proceeded to submit six applications for changes to the records.
This included the case of Rani’s (far left in photo) elder daughter Vijaya Letchumy who has a Hindu name but whose religious status in the NRD computer system is Islam, a discrepancy that prevented her from registering her marriage to her Hindu husband Tamilarasan a/l M Rajendran.
According to Thiagarajan, the NRD officers had told them that they would revert to the applicants regarding these six changes within two months’ time.
HRP will be taking the second batch of ten stateless Malaysian Indians to see the NRD next week.
Earlier on Aug 13, a HRP team led by pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar (right) had started the groundwork for this venture with a three-hour meeting with births, deaths and adoptions director Mohd Azmin Hassan and 12 of his senior officers at their Putrajaya office.
At this meeting the HRP team had emphasised that NRD should act on an independent, non-racial and non-religious basis, in a move to eliminate statelessness and uphold the constitutional right to freedom of religion.

Twisting the Sosilawati murder case into racial issue?

September 13th, 2010
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I  am at times amazed at the level of creativity or ingenuity (you may call it naivety or stupidity) our people have. I think the aim of becoming a creative and innovative nation is achievable indeed. I mean just look at the amount of nonsense written at this blog: Gerakan Anti PKR with predictably slanted political view (caution: lots of profanity there even though supposed to be religious). These folks trying to make a racial issue of out the Sosilawati murders by pointing out that the alleged murderers are all Indians while the four victims are all Malays. How pathetic and despicable can this be? I think should file a case against them for committing murder against our common sense!  You can report their page for inciting hatred by visit the Google  Blogger here.

The police have indicated that the group may been (most likely) to be involved in few other missing person case, which include Indians!  You can check all the major newspapers.

The murderers are not bothered about the victims race or religion nor whether its a festive season. They are not in the mood for bermaaf-maafan! They only want money.

Remember, this is not a hate crime against persons from certain race or religion. No churches attacked or cow heads paraded. No throwing of pig head into mosque compounds.

Remember, crimes are committed by all kinds of people. Remember Mona Fandey. Remember Al-Maunah. Remember Botak Chin. Remember Bentung Kali. Remember Ahmad Najib (Canny Ong case). Remember Bakaruddin Busu (UiTM lecturer killed and burned).  Remember Altantuya (exploded to death).

One blog mentioned about the suspect being a member of DAP. So what? You expect every DAP member to be a saint? Bad guys are in all the parties. And just now, Senator Murugiah said one of the suspect inquired about joining MIC! So, MIC members all criminals?  Use head a bit la. People join political parties mainly for self-interest – try to get something from the party, be it some license, support letter, position of power, influence etc. Very few join for purpose of  upholding principles. Some don’t even know they are members because registered by other people.

Someone also said the lawyer represented HINDRAF. So what? You expect to do a detailed background study of a lawyer before hiring him/her? Maybe this guy offered to act on a pro bono basis.

Instead of focusing on the main issues of a crime, the stories are spinned to link with political and racial issues.

My concern is why the group was not properly investigated before this. Rumours going around many previous cases not properly investigated due to links with high places. For me, if its true, corruption is the root cause of these murders.

DPM Muhyiddin on policies favoring bumiputras

September 5th, 2010
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I checked the meaning of racist at few sites:

Oxford:

noun: a person who believes that a particular race is superior to another
adjective: having or showing the belief that a particular race is superior to another (e.g.: we are investigating complaints about racist abuse at a newsagents)

S: (n) racist, racialist (a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others)

Adjective:

S: (adj) racist (based on racial intolerance) “racist remarks”

S: (adj) racist, antiblack, anti-Semite (discriminatory especially on the basis of race or religion)

Merriam-Webster:

This dictionary returned the definition for racism instead of racist:

Definition of RACISM

1. : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

2 : racial prejudice or discrimination

— rac·ist noun or adjective

I don’t know. If you read the article below and look at the definitions above, looks like its racist policy because it discriminates or prejudices according to race.  However it doesn’t indicate that these policies are promoting superiority over other races (that’s another topic).  The implementation of such policy gave birth to various entities and schemes that favored only one race, and kind of gave carte blanche to devise methods, rules and guidelines that favor them. Maybe the policies were needed 30 years ago, but is it still needed now? Maybe need to “fine tune”.  I think people (non-Malays especially) feel the policy has deviated from the its initial purpose 30 years ago, so the support has been lost now. Talk to younger people. They see people of all races shopping and spending money like nobody’s business (Don’t believe? go to Midvalley and see the Raya shoppers there!). So, where’s the poor people? Are the poor people only from one race? Don’t forget, the word bumiputra has been used liberally, but can we say the folks in East Malaysia are well off now?  Look at the estate workers.What did 20++ years of NEP did for them? Did they get own land? Did they participate in land schemes? Were they given shares or units? Offered loans/scholarships?  Given entrepreneur grants? Taught new skills?

Just like Mahathir giving meritocracy a new definition, maybe this is an attempt to do likewise to the word racist?

Programmes to assist the poor which may be seen to favour bumiputras should not be misinterpreted as racist policies, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said such programmes implemented since the start of the New Economic Policy were meant to provide aid to groups most in need of them, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

Muhyiddin said the policy was a national policy aimed at all, ensuring equitable division of the country’s wealth to all races.

“There is no discriminatory or racist policy here.

“This is a national policy, a policy for the equitable distribution of wealth which we have known about since 1970 (the NEP),” he said after opening the Pahang hardcore poor and urban poverty eradication programme here yesterday.

He said certain quarters who had labelled the Government’s move of helping more poor bumiputras as racist were themselves behaving as racists.

“No quarter should label a policy to assist bumiputras, many of whom are still poor and weak in certain areas, as a racist policy because when the NEP was launched, it was accepted by all the races, including the non-Malays,” he said.

On educational assistance, Muhyiddin said it should also not be made an issue as that would only cause dissatisfaction and animosity between the races, as after 53 years of independence education remained the basis of stability in the country.

“Therefore, whatever the Government does should not be misinterpreted, as it is for the good of all, regardless of race.”

He said the Government was also upset with some Malays who questioned the policy.

He said these people did not understand that there were still many in the community who still needed the Government’s assistance.

“If there are Malays who sabotage their own community’s struggle, then others would take advantage of the situation and acknowledge the policy as a racist policy.”

Indian becomes UM deputy VC

August 31st, 2010
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53 years! That long to see an Indian become a Deputy Vice Chancellor.  Took 51 years to get Deputy Chief Minister. Can I say thank you HINDRAF (in one way or another)?

I guess another 50 years to see one become a Vice Chancellor.

Congrats Prof Dr Kurunathan!

Prof Dr Kurunathan Ratnavelu has been appointed as University of Malaya Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) for three years effective Sept 1.

Prof Kurunathan succeeds Prof Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee whose term ends Tuesday, UM said in a statement Monday.

An expert in “theoretical collision processes” with specific interest in positron collisions with atoms, Prof Kurunathan obtained his Bachelor of Science (First Class Hons) and his Master of Science by research from the Department of Mathematics, University of Malaya, and furthered his PhD study in Atomic Physics at Flinders University, Australia.

He started off as a lecturer at the UM in 1989 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1994 and subsequently made Professor in 2001.