Action can be taken if Herald uses Allah

PUTRAJAYA: Action can be taken against non-Muslim publications, including The Herald, in 10 states if they are found to be using four words related to Islam, including “Allah”.

This is because the states – Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Kelantan, Tereng­ganu, Kedah, Perlis and Selangor – have gazetted the ruling which is now part of the respective state enactments on Islamic matters.

A fatwa had been issued to prohibit non-Muslim publications from using the words “Allah”, “Kaabah”, “Solat” and “Baitullah” in their reading materials.

Religious Adviser to the Prime Minister Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin said the remaining four states – Penang, Federal Territory, Sabah and Sarawak – were in the process of gazetting the fatwa.

“There are already laws in place to take action against offenders; not just through the Home Ministry,” he said.

The Catholic Church has submitted an application for a judicial review over the use of the word Allah, seeking to quash the decision of the Internal Security Minister (now Home Minister) in a letter dated Feb 12, which imposed conditions on the publishing permit of The Herald, a Catholic weekly. Among the conditions was a prohibition on the use of the word Allah.

Abdullah also said a statement made by Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat over the use of the word by non-Muslims had confused the public.

“It is true that in the early days, the word Allah already existed but it was wrongly used and was taken in the wrong context,” he said, adding that people in that era claimed Allah had children, that angels were His daughters and Allah had associations with the many statues used for worshipping.

“That is why Allah directed Prophet Muhammad to clear the matter and declare that Allah is One, has no children, was not given birth to and cannot be associated and likened to other things, or objects, in this world.

“That is why the word Allah cannot be used by non-Muslims to describe their God,” he said.

Recently, the PAS spiritual adviser said non-Muslims were allowed to use the word “Allah” as there was a verse in the Quran which quoted the non-Muslims of Mecca calling their god “Allah”.

Source : TheStar

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Malaysian opposition politican hit by nude photo scandal

PETALING JAYA: Outspoken Malaysian assemblyman Elizabeth Wong has lodged a police report over nude pictures and videos of her that have been circulating via MMS.

In a statement released on Monday afternoon, Ms Wong, who is Selangor and Parti Keadilan Rakyat assemblyman, said that the distribution and publication of these photos and video was a malicious attack.

'This constitutes a gross outrage on my modesty, a gross invasion of my privacy, and in particular the sanctity of my personal life,' she said.

'I have received a lot of support from my supporters, friends, colleagues and members of my constituency. I wish to thank them for their concern, support and encouragement.

'My family members are standing behind me. I would like to appeal to the media to give me and my family members some breathing space in this trying time so that I can weather this huge challenge.'

Police confirmed a report was lodged on Sunday night and they were investigating.

The pictures are believed to have been taken using a handphone, possibly before the general election last March. It is rumoured that they may have been taken and circulated by an ex-boyfriend.

Ms Wong won the Bukit Lanjan seat with a majority of over 5,000, the second largest majority won by a PKR state assembly candidate in Selangor.

She was later appointed a member of the Selangor state executive council, in charge of Tourism, Consumer Affairs and the Environment. She is also the information chief of the Women's wing of PKR and of her division Petaling Jaya Utara.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim urged the police to conduct a proper investigation into the matter.

He told reporters at the Parliament lobby in Kuala Lumpur that the Selangor state executive council would discuss the matter during its meeting on Wednesday.

'Someone is trying to frame her,' said Mr Khalid.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said she would look into the matter and said she felt sad that it happened.

'There is a pattern of PKR assemblymen being attacked,' she said, alleging that the ruling coalition Barisan nasional has had its share of scandals too.

Selangor exco member and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said she had nightmares after learning about the incident.

'This is like invading a person's privacy and the incident took place at her home. The whole incident could be politically motivated,' said Ms Kok, adding that there must be someone purposely circulating the photos.

Mr Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) said the party would wait for Ms Wong to explain the situation to the Selangor mentri besar.

'We don't want to know if these are old or new nude pictures. She must explain to us, and if she is really guilty of having posed or was involved in the taking of these pictures, we will not hesitate to take action.

In Klang, Selangor opposition chief Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said that Malaysians were not ready to accept leaders afflicted with scandals Ms Wong should relinquish all her positions.

'Let the people decide and if they still want her they can vote her in again, or vote for someone else if they don't want her to represent them anymore,' said Dr Mohd Khir, who last week was detained and questioned by police for taking part in an illegal assembly.

Selangor opposition chief Dr Mohd Khir Toyo also said Ms Wong must quit all her positions. -- The Star/ANN

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Nizar 'marched out' of his office

Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who refused to resign as Perak menteri besar, was marched out of the state secretariat building here yesterday after he turned up to claim his old office. He led his former exco members in a convoy of Toyota Camry cars to "show up for work as usual" and was allowed in by state Secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Hashim.

Nizar then made his way to his office, which had been cleared out since the Sultan of Perak ordered his resignation on Thursday, with his retinue and journalists in tow.

He maintained he would continue as menteri besar until he was ousted by a vote of no confidence in the state assembly.

"Until then, I am still the menteri besar of Perak, and if Barisan Nasional thinks they can come in with their own menteri besar, he will just have to share the office with me," he said.
When he sat down at the desk in his office to talk to reporters, Rahman came in and shouted at the press to leave.

Ipoh police chief Azisman Alias also told Nizar to stop the press conference and hold it outside the building.

When Nizar and the former executive councillors left the top floor, they were prevented from entering the other offices in the building by the police.

The offices of the exco members had also been emptied.

One of them, Nga Kor Ming, nearly caused a fist fight when he was barred from entering his office.

Checks revealed that Nizar's and the former exco members' key cards had been deactivated.

The police finally shooed the journalists from the building at 11am, and the Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen followed a few minutes later.

The exco members all left in their official cars and said they would not hand them over.

Rahman said the eviction of Nizar and the others had been done in accordance with procedure and he was acting within his jurisdiction as state secretary to secure the state secretariat building.

"They were given letters to clear out on Thursday, and their aides have collected all their things.

"So don't say that their things are still in the office.

"In fact, the reason I let them in was out of the kindness of my heart.

"By right, they shouldn't even come here any more.

"The next time, the gates will not be open for them, and they will have to get passes, like any other ordinary visitor." Link to this Page


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Selangor tops list as dengue cases continue to rise

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of dengue cases in the country has continued to climb with 12 deaths from the 4,221 cases recorded since Jan 1.

“I hope everyone will cooperate with us to get the situation under control,” Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai told reporters after handing out ang pow to more than 100 Valley of Hope residents here yesterday.

Selangor remains the state with the highest number of cases at 2,223 with five deaths, compared to 751 cases and one death in the same period last year.

There were 409 cases with two deaths in Kuala Lumpur compared to 270 cases and no casualties in the same period last year.

There were 245 cases reported in Penang and 128 cases in Kedah, compared to 100 and 65 cases in the respective states during the same period last year.

Liow said chikungunya cases had also spiked, totalling 458 as of Friday with Selangor topping the list with 109 cases.

Perak had 96 cases and Kelantan 85.

On Monday, Liow declared war on dengue and called on everyone, including local councils and the public, to work together.

When asked what he thought was the cause for the sudden spike in the number of cases, he replied: “It could partly be due to the weather, but it’s also due to the lack of hygiene and sanitary measures.”

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21 detained for taking part in illegal assembly

Klang MP Charles Santiago, Kota Damansara assemblyman Dr Nasir Hasim and Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S. Arutchelvan were among 21 people detained by the police for taking part in an illegal assembly in Dataran Merdeka here yesterday.

Dozens of people had gathered to hold a candlelight vigil for the Palestinian victims in Gaza but were told by the police to disperse.

The group called themselves the Anti-War Coalition, marched to Dataran Merdeka at 8.25pm.

Dang Wangi police chief Assistant Commissioner Zulkarnain Abd Rahman said that police would investigate to verify if they had committed any offence during the gathering.

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Malaysian Muslims celebrate Maal Hijrah on solemn note

Muslims in the country ushered in the year 1430 of the Hijrah calendar today on a solemn note in the wake of the demise of Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Ja’afar Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman and the Israeli air raids in Gaza which has claimed the lives of 300 Palestinians.

Negeri Sembilan did not hold the Ma’al Hijrah celebration today as the state has cancelled or postponed all government official functions scheduled for a week from last Saturday when Tuanku Ja’afar, the Yang Dipertuan Besar, passed away.

Israel has carried out air strikes on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip over the last three days.

The national-level Ma’al Hijrah celebration was held in Putrajaya and was attended by 2,500 people comprising employees from the government and private sectors and members of religious organisations.

The celebration, held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, was launched by the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, who is the Sultan of Kedah.
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Jerit campaigners warned of arrest

KUALA LUMPUR: The police will not hesitate to take action against members of the Marginalised People's Network (Jerit) who are planning to cycle to Parliament today to submit a memorandum. City deputy police chief Datuk Abu Samah Mat said police would arrest those who proceeded despite the warning.

"It is fine by us if they want to submit the memorandum in other ways, but to cycle to Parliament in a large group is considered an illegal gathering. They do not have a permit to do so," he said yesterday.

Jerit has two groups of cyclists travelling from the north and south of the peninsula, a journey which will end with them handing over the memorandum in Parliament.

Listed in the memorandum are appeals for low-income workers to be protected in times of crisis, the abolition of laws like the Internal Security Act, adequate housing, price controls, a halt to privatising basic amenities and for local council elections to be restored.
Abu Samah also warned against the use of minors in the cycling campaign.

He was speaking after the launch of the Occupational Safety and Health Campaign in collaboration with Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad at KL Sentral.

Suaram secratariat member and Jerit's cycling campaign coordinator, S. Arutchelvam, said parents of the Jerit cyclists were considering suing Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar for detaining their children overnight at the Rawang police station.

M. Sugumaran, the father of Jerit campaign cyclist S. Phivyakumar, 15, said he was unhappy over how his son and the other cyclists were treated by police.

"I was not allowed to see my son. The children were detained from 7pm until 1pm the next day, most of the time in a dark room.

"The children should have been taken away by Welfare Department officials. The police were very harsh with the children, scolding them and calling them syaitan (devil)."


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Pirates hit cargo ship near Pulau Tioman

A group of 10 pirates forced a cargo ship to a halt and robbed the crew of cash, valuables and handphones near Pulau Tioman on Monday.

The 9pm incident saw the pirates in two speedboats chasing the ship that was heading from Thailand to Singapore with a consignment of coal.

They then boarded the ship before herding the crew together and ordering them to keep quiet.

The crew had no choice but to follow the instructions of the pirates who were armed with parang and knives.

As five pirates kept guard over the crew, the others ransacked the ship.
It is not known how long the crew were kept captive but they later lodged a report at the Kemaman district police station.

The report was then referred to the Rompin District police station for further investigations.

Meanwhile, Rompin OCPD, DSP Johari Yahya, when contacted yesterday, confirmed the report.

He added that the crew claimed that they had lost about 16 million Rupiah (about RM5,000) in cash and valuables.

Johari said the Marine Police and the Malaysian Maritime Enforce ment Agency had been informed about the incident.

He said police were investigations the incident as gang robbery and voluntarily causing hurt in a robbery.


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Court dismisses prosecution's application to amend sedition charge against RPK

The Sessions Court here today rejected an application by the prosecution to amend the sedition charge against Malaysia-Today.net news portal editor Raja Petra Kamarudin.

The prosecution had applied to include the website address and title of the allegedly seditious article, "Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell", which was not present in the original article appended with the sedition charge.

In dismissing the amendment, Judge Rozina Ayob agreed with the defence that an an amendment to the charge would be contrary to Section 158 of the Criminal Procedure Code, and that it was prejudicial to the accused to amend it at such a late stage.

"The charge is a substitution. We have gone through it, and there are sections where even words are changed," said defence counsel Gobind Singh Deo.

"The question that comes to mind is this. Is this the original, or is this another document that has been typed up by the police officer?" asked Gobind who submitted that the amendment was a sign that the prosecution "has no case".

"It is our submission that the prosecution realises that they have no chance. They should withdraw the charge and admit that it is baseless," said Gobind.

Raja Petra is charged with committing sedition through the article posted on Malaysia-Today.net at his house on Jalan BRP 5/5, Bukit Rahman Putra in Sungai Buloh on April 25 this year.

The charge carries a penalty of up to RM5,000 fine or up to three years jail or both upon conviction.

DPP Ishak Mohd Yusoff however refuted the severity of the amendments, claiming the the prosecution had just added two elements which had been objected to by the defence during the last trial sessions in October.

"It is an editorial, but it forms part of the ingredients of the charge, so that the accused understands the charge against him. We are adding two ingredients to make it clearer," said Ishak.

The court then moved on to hear testimony from two witnesses, -- senior digital forensic analyst S.Sivanathan and ASP Wa'ie Isqual Kria Abdullah.

Sivanathan, who was questioned on a forensic investigation report of the computers seized from Raja Petra by the police, told the court there were several elements found in the forensic log which indicated that someone had used the computers, a Dell desktop and an Asus laptop to access Malaysia-Today.net with "administrator privileges".

Asked to clarify what "administrator privileges" were, Sivanathan said that such privileges allow a user to maintain the website.

He said however that while some people may log in with administrator rights, it was possible to create usernames and passwords with lesser privileges.

He said while there was evidence in the log indicating that files had been uploaded to Malaysia-Today from the computers, he was unable to determine the type of file uploaded to the news portal.

Meanwhile, Wa’ie, who was called to testify on the forensic log made by him for the investigating officer, DSP Mahfuz Abdul Majid, said that while he prepared the logs from his forensic analysis of both the laptop and the desktop, he did not look beyond Mahfuz’s request to find evidence pertaining to the investigation on Raja Petra.

Hearing continues tomorrow.

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