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[piinang: Dear brother, they can put you and others behind the bar, but they fail to understand, NO ONE CAN STOP THE MAKKAL SHAKTHI] Ganabathirau, the unsung hero

Tony Pua | Dec 18, 07 3:59pm

I’d just like to provide a little more insight to one of those arrested - a little known unsung hero, 34-year-old lawyer, V Ganabathirau, who hit the limelight recently as one of the core leaders of Hindraf. As you may have read from the New Straits Times, Gana is a DAP member. What makes the whole ugly episode so close to me is that Gana is a member of the DAP Damansara branch, of which I am chairperson. Gana joined me in March this year and subsequently helped form the Taman Muda branch in Shah Alam of which he is the advisor. Having known him for the past eight months or so, I cannot claim to know him inside out. But there are some things which I will vouch for him with my life. Gana is not a racist. He is not a religious fanatic, neither is he a terrorist, as he is insinuated to be. He is the complete opposite of what the Pak Lah administration, through the mainstream mouthpieces, would like to paint him to be. Gana is a full-blooded Malaysian who strongly believes that all Malaysians regardless of ethnicity must have equal opportunities to succeed. While some may quibble over the fact that Hindraf could have taken a greater multi-racial outlook in its position, no right-thinking Malaysian will deny them the fact that the overwhelming majority of Indians in this country are severely marginalised and live below or near the poverty line. With the way Malaysian politics is framed at this point of time, it is unsurprising that the ethnic Indians found themselves having to stand up and be counted. They really have nothing else to lose. Some will argue that I can afford to spend time on politics today because I’ve made some money after having sold my company. Gana, despite having just started his own fledgling law firm, found himself frequently travelling (at least weekly) between his hometown Teluk Intan and his residence in Shah Alam to provide services to the needy and unfortunate. He even financed the rental and refurbishment of a service centre in Teluk Intan to carry out his services. When I received cases at my own service centre in Damansara Utama and was in need of legal services to assist the complainants, Gana offered his services with no hesitation. For example, there was a group of seven contractors who failed to receive payment from a housing developer. Gana took up their case and offered legal advice pro bono. When legal action was required, I had to convince him to accept some payment from these contractors! Guess what? These contractors were all Chinese, but race never ever came into the picture, as should be the case for all right-thinking Malaysians. Gana, the youngest of three brothers, is a son that would have made any family proud. He belongs to the Indian Telugu community and grew up in a poor family that made just enough to survive. Gana never had the privilege of completing his education at one go. After finishing Form 5, he had to take up various odd jobs to help support himself and his family. However, that did not prevent him from investing his earnings and taking part-time courses to pursue his ambition of becoming an officer of the court. His dream came true in his late 20s when he graduated with a law degree from the University of London’s external programme. He plied his trade as a legal assistant with a law firm in Teluk Intan before saving sufficiently to set up his own firm, having moved to Shah Alam late last year. But all these while, he held political ambitions, not to further enrich himself by illegal and unethical means but ambitions to play a part in the betterment of his marginalised community and of Malaysians in general. Having set up his own firm, he had, for better or worse, the flexibility to spend time on social and political causes. He did it with all his heart and soul. Not too long ago, Gana got married to a school teacher. His first-born came on Merdeka day this year. His baby daughter is barely four months old and if Pak Lah has his way, by the time Gana is released from ISA detention, his daughter would be more than two years old. When Gana first pointed out his wife to me, she was sitting in the stands where he was being charged with sedition in the Klang sessions court. You could see tears in her eyes. Her fears have unfortunately come true. Gana told me that his wife was a former Tamil school debater and is very politically- aware. In fact, she used to tease that he only knew how to “talk” politics but never got his hands dirty. More recently however, she would half-jokingly tell him that she regretted having ever encouraged him to join the fight for a just cause. Gana is a good man. He has sacrificed selflessly to help create a better Malaysia for all Malaysians, particularly for the underprivileged and marginalised community. He quickly rose to prominence through sheer tenacity, hardwork, eloquence and dedication to the cause. About 30,000 Indians from all parts of Malaysia walked the streets of Kuala Lumpur not because they had nothing better to do, but because they shared his cause. They believed that enough is enough! Pak Lah who is clearly unable to hear, accept and deal with the truth has invoked the draconian ISA in hopes of sweeping everything under the carpet. Thankfully, Gana has kind and loving family members who will help take care of his wife and child. DAP, as announced by the party secretary-general, will be setting up a fund to assist the families of those who have been detained without trial. My eyes were moist as I wrote this letter. I firmly believe that Gana will be a stronger man post-detention. You would not have heard the last of him for a long time yet. I expect him to be a future leader of this country, a rare breed of the much needed righteous, caring, intelligent and dedicated kind who will contribute immensely to creating a better Malaysia for our future generations. His personal sacrifices must not and will not be in vain.

Posted in: Asian News, HINDRAF, Hinduism, Human Rights, ISA, Malaysia GE 2008, Malaysia Politics, Malaysian Ethnic Indians, Religion | Comments(0)

The imperfect storm

Listen to NCR Podcasts Podcasts on NCR Cafe are interviews with people focused on spiritual and social transformation. Each week, former NCR publisher and editor Tom Fox engages in conversations with people often overlooked by the mainstream media. Tune in to these podcasts today: The Legacy of Chemical War Food Aid: When generosity isn’t enough And many more

CNN’s special investigative report, “Lifting the Veil,” is clear about what happens to women where the Taliban, Islam’s fundamentalist sect, seeks to be — pretends to be — the real, the only, expression of Islam. In these places, women are imprisoned in their homes, allowed in public only with a man or at least heavily shrouded, forbidden to drive or travel alone, left uneducated, married off as children and abandoned on the streets when widowed. It’s a bleak, desperate situation. “God’s will,” they say — as have so many before them.

In theocratic governments, religions other than the state religions exist only by virtue of the fiat of the state and the state is devoted to maintaining the laws of the religion that underlies it. Too bad for everyone else. Like women.

Absolutism is the old wind.

Inclusiveness is the new wind.

And this new wind is blowing, as well. Benizar Bhutto, although a most religious woman, was also the proponent of a secular democratic government. In the secular state, all religions enjoy equal protection under the law. All people are safe from the excesses of religion. This is the wind of justice and equality. And it is equally religious as well as comfortably secular.

This is the wind that comes with those who believe that God created all people with human rights, that God calls women, as well as men, to go on doing God’s will, to continue co-creating the universe, to be moral agents. To vote, to minister, to teach, to think, to lead.

As a result, women everywhere, propelled by religion, are calling on both their religions and their governments to realize that as long as women can be suppressed, ignored, discriminated against, used, abused and made invisible — all in the name of God — humanity is only half human, government is suspect and religion itself is in danger of betraying itself.

Until the women’s agenda is addressed, until things change for women, until the Benizar Bhuttos, the Hillary Clintons, and the Bishop Kathryn Jeffers-Shorri’s of the world, leaders all, are the norm, not the exception, until domination and female invisibility stops being blamed on God, oppression will be the norm. Then nothing may change for women, true, but nothing will change for the rest of the world either. The fact is that whether they realize it or not, in the end, oppressors limit themselves as much as they limit those they oppress.

E-mail Alerts To receive an e-mail notice when “From Where Is Stand” by Joan Chittister is posted every week, sign up here for e-mail alerts.

From where I stand, it seems clear that religions that only pretend to be religions ride on the past wind. Just look around you at all the women’s groups rising up all over the world. In the face of religious fundamentalism, all of them — like Benizar Bhutto — pay the price, of course. But, has anyone noticed, these groups of women leaders are not going away.

Be not mistaken: There is clearly another wind blowing that no number, no kind, of assassinations can quell.

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Madam Cardinal.If Benedict

Submitted by sevenup on February 11, 2008 - 9:42am.

Madam Cardinal.If Benedict were to allow the ordination of women tomorrow would women be happy having achieved a landmark for women? Would it be a landmark for Catholicism? or would it give women more power? A woman could be president of the US, or Speaker of the house then she could definitely run a diocese or the entire church. For the present the avenue toward the power that is sought may not be through the priesthood. A lay person can be a cardinal and that may be what happens. How about an entire consultative body that would have the status of the college of cardinals made up entirely of women?

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Sr. Chittister has painted

Submitted by jolenecasa on January 18, 2008 - 6:45am.

Sr. Chittister has painted us a portrait of Benazir Bhutto which is compelling: a glamorous, Western-educated scion of a great South Asian political dynasty who represented the best hope for women and the poor against the dark forces of fundamentalism. She’s portrayed as everything we in the west would like a Muslim leader to be. From this position is launched the standard dark ages vs. enlightenment essay- a liberal tradition going all the way back to Voltaire.

But what we’re not being told here is that Ms. Bhutto was apparently the victim of Islamist militant groups that she allowed to flourish under her administrations in the 1980s and 1990s. It was under Ms. Bhutto’s watch that the Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, first installed the Taliban in Afghanistan. It was also at that time that hundreds of young Islamic militants were recruited from the madrassas to do the agency’s dirty work in Indian Kashmir. Everyone now knows how disastrous the rule of the Taliban turned out to be in Afghanistan, how brutally it subjugated women, created Al Qaeda and turned Kashmir into a Jihadist playground. For years, during her second tenure as PM, Bhutto lied brazenly to Washington about the extent to which Pakistan, with her approval, was covertly arming and funding the Taliban and Kashmir’s radicals. As Bhutto admitted in a 2002 interview: “Once I gave the go-ahead that they should get the money, I don’t know how much money they were ultimately given … I know it was a lot. It was just carte blanche.”

To the Bhutto goverment, women’s rights were on the back burner, on the front burner was their first objective: to keep a newly liberated Afghanistan yoked to Pakistan and out of India’s orbit. Out of this relationship would flow the riches of a Pakistan-controlled trucking industry circumventing Kabul – a modern Silk Road trade incorporating the markets of Central Asia – the never realized gas pipeline from Turkmenistan, and training camps, off the Pakistan reservation, for fighters deployed to Kashmir. Bhutto had an economic and political vision for Pakistan, one that depended largely on creating a compliant client state next door. Call it naivety, stupidity or bad luck, it all spun out of control and eventually resulted in Al Qaeda – now firmly interwoven with the Taliban which would plot from the start, her political demise.

But the primary opposition to her rule within Pakistan is the corruption and looting of the national treasury by her immediate family. Surely most NCR readers trust the reportage of The New York Times (being reliably liberal, secular, anti-catholic and anti-Bush) Before Bhuttomania clouded everyone’s judgement, the New York Times on Jan 9, 1998 published a special report entitled “Bhutto Clan Leaves Trail of Corruption in Pakistan” and House of Graft: Tracing the Bhutto Millions: A Special Report. This investigation outlines the Pakistani government’s case against her which is that more than $100 million was stolen from the country and secreted in foreign bank accounts and properties controlled by Bhutto’s family. Because she declared herself her party’s president for life and controlled all decisions it is difficult to get an answer to these very serious charges. She refused to discuss any of the specific deals outlined in the documents, and did not explain how her husband, (a dilettante Polo player who became known to all Pakistanis as “Mr. 10 Percent” because of his taste for massive bribes) had paid for his property and jewelry. Lamenting what she described as “the irreparable damage done to my standing in the world” by the corruption inquiry, she said her family had inherited wealth, despite their wealth not even coming close the scale implied by the huge bank deposits and luxury properties overseas.

The point of all this is not to disparage the memory of Ms. Bhutto but to expose the first intrinsic flaw in this month’s essay: The assertion that there is a neat divide between (corrupt) “Absolutism” and (clean) “Inclusiveness.” This is a facile position which the evidence doesn’t support. Bhutto’s party was both broadly inclusive and hopelessly corrupt.

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Jolenecasa, Obviously,

Submitted by butterfly on February 6, 2008 - 9:15am.

Jolenecasa,
Obviously, Bhutto had many supporters, and religious extremist terrorist did her in, not due to anything such as you write, but due to the fact she is a woman and she embodied the spirit of those in her country who were against religious extremism. Given a choice between a leadership of a Taliban-like regime, Pakistan stood up and said with the voice of their female leader that they will not tolerate them and, in essence said, ‘we will not wear a burka, we will not bow down to the extremes, but will for our country a democracy with rights for women and men.’

This is the main point that I understood from Sr. Joan’s writing: “Until the women’s agenda is addressed, until things change for women, until the Benizar Bhuttos, the Hillary Clintons, and the Bishop Kathryn Jeffers-Shorri’s of the world, leaders all, are the norm, not the exception, until domination and female invisibility stops being blamed on God, oppression will be the norm.”

You said, “But the primary opposition to her rule within Pakistan is the corruption and looting of the national treasury by her immediate family.”

The primary opposition to her rule were men who belive women should wear burkas, women should not have any rights, women should not be educated, women should shut up and be enslaved or they will be killed.

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Jolenecasa, I appreciated

Submitted by starlight on February 2, 2008 - 4:42pm.

Jolenecasa, I appreciated reading the above. I have to say that I agree with your position about the “neat divide”. It is difficult to present a “point of view” and not seem one-sided. Most are aware that there are “two sides of the story” and shades of gray everywhere. I’m certain Ms. Bhutto discovered this when she tried to rule Pakistan years ago. I would like to think she was sincere in her desire to benefit her people, but I am sure corruption was overwhelming and rampant, as it has been in that area (”the way business is done”—do I agree with it? No.) for many years, and continues to be.

I happen to know very wealthy people in the United States who have had much easier access to the “Powers That Be” in Rome (and elsewhere) than ordinary, everyday citizens. I remember being astounded, many, many years ago, when my wealthy and kindly Aunt mentioned travelling to Rome to get her daughter’s annulment(s) “taken care of”. This was under the “old rules” of the Church. Why? because people who have lots of money and “donate” huge sums to Church-related charities(for which they get a tax write-off.) do enjoy certain privilege. It’s a “fact of life” in our culture, as well. I’m sure Benezir Bhutto observed this while she was at Harvard, so she probably saw little awry with the way her Family managed its affairs.

The personal lives of “large contributors” are no different than ours, nor their personal failings and disappointments, yet they are fawned upon. They probably, at times,(don’t count on this–people get used to and feel “entitled” to certain treatment) may not even realize that they have a certain power and influence with those who require their charity, or that others could not have access to the same. They simply “move in certain circles” where things are easier, and accomplished more quickly. I am, of course, talking about people who have millions to contribute.

Power and money, let’s face it, wield disproportionate influence everywhere–Church AND State. So it has been for thousands of years. As sophisticated a form of Democracy as we think we have, we are dealing with issues of corruption in our own Government at the moment. I have no wish to argue this point on one side or the other–corruption just “is”, sad to say, and it is hard to root out completely, as much as one would wish to, and continue the effort for ” a level playing field” for all…People are human, and they are unfortunately influenced by the material, even if it is for a “good end”. Is it truly “Christian”? No. But it has taken our civilizations thousands of years to even realize that corruption, bribes, etc. are even questionable.

My point: “corruption” is “here, and now”, not just in Pakistan, and not just with the Bhuttos.

Posted in: Asian News, Catholic, Human Rights, Those Blogs | Comments(0)

Written by Anti Relon, February 29, 2008 | 20:43:50
From BBC 29.2.2008
Hope our politicans read this piece on Indonesia.Indonesia’s foreign policy is much more focused on its economic and political role in South East Asia, and even its links with Africa, than with the Middle East.

The country’s role in global peace and security comes 18th on its list of foreign policy objectives. Islam never gets a mention at all.

The reason is that the government - unlike some of its voters - does not like to see things in terms of religion.

Full report below

Indonesia: Muslim bridge-builder?
Israel’s deputy foreign minister has called on Indonesia to play a more active role in the Middle East. The BBC’s Lucy Williamson in Jakarta asks whether the government will listen.

This month, a letter appeared in Indonesia’s main English-language newspaper.

It was signed by Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majalli Whbee and it called on Indonesia to expand its role in the Middle East, and to engage more with the challenges facing the Muslim world.

This might come as something of a surprise, given that Indonesia has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

It also happens to be the world’s most populous Muslim country, is a member of Opec and enjoys good relations with Iran and Syria.

But Indonesia is the kind of Muslim country many western nations and their allies feel comfortable with - it is democratic, pluralist, and has had real success in tackling Islamic extremism.

No wonder some people see it as an ideal candidate to bridge the gaps between the Muslim world and the West.

To some extent, it is already involved in that dialogue. Indonesia took part in last year’s Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, and is working on capacity-building programmes for the Palestinians.

But given its size and political spread, could it do more? Should it have a more prominent role in issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or Iran’s nuclear programme?

‘Active neutrality’

One of those who thinks it should is Wimar Witoelar, a former Indonesian presidential spokesman. He believes Jakarta is well-placed to talk to countries like Iran, and that the US should be asking for its help.

Indonesia, he says, has a made a virtue out of being “actively neutral” - a policy first introduced by Sukarno, the country’s first president.

“At that time,” says Witoelar, “it applied to communism and the West; now it applies equally to Muslim countries and the West.”

There is support too from the Indonesian public for a more assertive role, particularly in the Middle East.

A straw poll on the streets of Jakarta found that more than half the people we talked to wanted Indonesia to support the Palestinians - with money or even troops - “because they are Muslims”.

Religious identity in Indonesia is growing - the number of people wearing the headscarf has been rising for decades.

And while most Indonesians are proud of their pluralist democracy, they also feel a personal, emotional connection to the situations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian Territories.

But is domestic desire for a greater role for Indonesia mirrored among Muslims in Pakistan, or Kosovo, or Egypt?

Broadly, the answer appears to be no.

Most Muslim countries around the world still look to the Middle East for leadership.

Posted in: Asian News, Human Rights, Malaysia GE 2008, Religion, Those Blogs | Comments(0)

Malaysiavotes.com
By Cindy Tham
cindytham@malaysiavotes.com

KUALA LUMPUR: In the early days of our independence, ethnic rights was the focal point of many an election campaign. That still resonates today where race-based political parties rule the country and dominate the political culture.

During this 2008 general election, another focal point, it would seem, is emerging. Voters, political parties and electoral candidates are being asked to consider the demands of different religious advocacy groups, namely Islamic, Christian and Hindu groups.

Since Parliament was dissolved on Feb 13, at least three religious groups have announced their respective concerns, either to their members or the political parties, and the public.

On Feb 21, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) issued a statement calling on people of these faiths, and Malaysians in general, to pray in these “critical times in the life of the nation”. It encouraged the people to pray for candidates who will live up to the common religious values which form the moral underpinning of the nation; campaign with mutual respect, understanding, consultation and dialogue; and strive to ensure national unity founded on the protection of the fundamental liberties and human rights of all Malaysians.

The group represents several religious organisations like the Malaysia Hindu Sangam, Malaysia Buddhist Association, Malaysian Gurdwara Council and the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM). The statement called on Malaysians to be mindful of the critical issues, such as the need for a strong judiciary and police, and freedom of religion, and to impress these issues upon the candidates.

It said the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom have been infringed upon, especially in recent times, despite numerous meetings with religious bodies and government authorities. The sincerity of verbal assurances by the authorities must be demonstrated by actual implementation, it said. “No religious community should be subjected or forced to conform to the religious rules of another religion.”

The MCCBCHST said it would pray that no matter which side wins or loses in the coming electoral exercise, “may the people of Malaysia be the real winners”, as the people in power keep their promises and address the concerns of all groups.

Islamic NGOs issue booklet

[L-R] Abim president Yusri Mohamad and Syarie Lawyers Assoc of Malaysia deputy president Mohamad Isa Abd Ralip. Photo by Cindy Tham

Just a day before (Feb 20), a group of Islamic non-governmental organisations (NGOs) released a booklet, Malaysia’s 12th General Election: Islamic NGOs’ Election Demands, to make specific demands of electoral candidates and future state and federal governments.Some of the demands are:

• Reject notion of Malaysia as a secular state, including the call to set up an Interfaith Council – which promotes a secular-liberal understanding of freedom of religion – and a Non-Muslims’ Affairs Department;

• Uphold the role of the Syariah Court; any legal dispute involving Islam should only come under the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court;

• Prosecute those who cause religious disharmony, especially by making offensive remarks against Islam, under Section 298A of the Penal Code;

• The Education Ministry should not give in to non-Muslims’ call to stop Islamic practices in national schools, as these practices such as reciting prayers and observing Muslim celebrations are part of Malaysian tradition and do not jeopardise inter-racial and inter-religious relations;

• Improve efforts to fight corruption;

• Appoint a leader from the Islamic groups to be a senator to represent the community’s interests in Parliament;

• All parties should respect the social contract to ensure racial and religious harmony;

• Reject political parties and leaders who are not sensitive to the special position of Islam and promote individual rights and freedom of religion without limits, which are opposed to the moral and religious values held by most Muslims in Malaysia;

• Ensure that places of worship are built according to the law and take into consideration the local sensitivities;

• Reject the notion of religious pluralism which claims that all religions are the same;

• Reject any effort that brings confusion to Islamic doctrine, including the use of the words “Allah”, “Kaabah”, “Baitullah” and “Solat” in the non-Islamic context; and

• Strictly enforce the existing laws on religious and moral crimes.

“This does not mean we are denying the rights of the other communities,” said Yusri Mohamad, president of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia, also known by its Bahasa Malaysia acronym Abim. He told a press conference these issues have been raised before but the Islamic groups decided to release, for the first time, a booklet of their demands.

Yusri Mohamad, Abim president

“We don’t want these issues to be left out during the election as other communities have raised their concerns. We don’t want it to appear as if the Muslims are content, have everything they need and do not have any problems,” he said.

Yusri said the group currently represented about 100 Islamic NGOs but more might come onboard. Other than Abim, the other NGOs include the Syari’e Lawyers Association of Malaysia, Muslim Lawyers Association, Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association and Allied Coordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs.

He said the Islamic NGOs respected the other communities’ concerns but at the same time saw the need to safeguard Muslim interests and aqidah (Islamic doctrine), which have been problematised recently. “This document (booklet of demands) is our effort to present our concerns to the political parties and leaders. It is a measure that is not confrontational, aggressive or extreme,” he said. “It is consistent with the culture of a healthy democracy where issues can be raised with the political parties or authorities.”

Christians called to vote wisely
Another group that is urging members to hold electoral candidates and the government accountable is the CFM, which sent a note to member churches on Feb 15, encouraging Christians to vote wisely.

Its executive secretary Rev Dr Hermen Shastri, who is also Council of Churches of Malaysia general secretary, said the CFM had issued such statements before. “We have done it every time an election is announced,” he told MalaysiaVotes.com in an email interview on Feb 21. “It is to encourage the churches to pray for a peaceful and fair election. It is also to encourage individual Christians to exercise their right to vote and to do it responsibly.”

He said the central message has remained essentially the same. “However, for this election, Christians have become acutely aware of critical issues facing our nation: good governance; corrupt-free society; crime-safe living environment; religious freedom; and, a lively and responsible parliamentary democracy.”

The CFM is distributing flyers urging Christians to consider a political party’s manifesto and track record on citizens’ rights to freedom of religion, conscience and speech; the economy and development; environmental protection; welfare of the poor, sick and disabled; efficiency; and justice and fair play.

It also encourages Christians to evaluate the candidates for their standard of accountability, integrity and honesty; leadership skills; values; and accessibility and availability.

In recent months, the Christian community has voiced concerns that its freedom to practise the faith is being curbed. Sidang Injil Borneo, also known as the Evangelical Church of Borneo, and the Catholic weekly, Herald, are separately seeking a court declaration for the right to use the word “Allah” in Bahasa Malaysia Christian publications.

The church has had problems bringing in to Malaysia Christian literature from Indonesia. It was informed by the Internal Security Ministry last year that the government has categorised the words “Allah”, “Baitullah”, “Solat” and “Kaabah” as words exclusive to Islam, through the order published in the Gazette and the circular KKDN. S.59/3/6/A dated Dec 5, 1986.

Herald’s publisher has also filed a suit against the government for prohibiting it from using the word “Allah” in the publication. The Internal Security Ministry had issued a series of directives for Herald, which has a Bahasa Malaysia segment, to stop using the word “Allah”, failing which the publication’s permit could be suspended or revoked. Under the Printing Presses and Publications Act, the minister has absolute powers to grant, suspend or revoke a publishing permit.

Hindu concerns
The Hindus have also voiced their unhappiness with the way some state governments are dealing with temples built on state or private land. In an interview with Bernama on Jan 12, Malaysia Hindu Sangam president Datuk A. Vaithilingam said, “Hindus in Malaysia welcomed 2008 after an unprecedented emotional upheaval. The demolition of a temple in Kampung Jawa (Selangor) served as a wakeup call for Hindus in particular and Indians in general over their rights and position in a plural society.”

“I see the year 2008 as being pivotal for the Hindus in determining the way forward not only in their faith but in their socio-economic standing as well,” said Vaithilingam, who is also MCCBCHST president.

He was asked if non-Muslims were still free to practise their faith in Malaysia, following several high-profile cases such as the divorce and custody tussle between R. Subashini and T. Saravanan, who assumed the name Muhammad Shafi Abdullah after his conversion to Islam; the tussle over the body of Mount Everest team member Maniam Moorthy (Mohammad Abdullah); the demolition of non-Muslim places of worship to make way for development; and legal conflicts involving Muslims and non-Muslims.

In recent months, the Hindu Rights Action Force and others have taken to the streets to voice their concerns over the plight of the Indians.

“Despite the differences in our belief system, Malaysians remain tolerant of one another and respect each other’s faith,” Vaithilingam was quoted as saying. “We must appreciate the fact that the Malays, being the majority, have accommodated us in many ways. Nonetheless problems do crop up from time to time, testing the tolerance limit of the freedom of religion enshrined in the constitution.”

Valid concerns
Asked to comment on the interests of people from other faiths, Yusri said, “Their concerns are valid of course.”

“We are committed to genuine dialogue. We look forward to a proper setting where we can sit with our friends from the other groups,” he told MalaysiaVotes.com after the press conference. He stressed the need for “genuine” dialogue in a closed-door setting instead of a public forum, for more effective discussion.

“It does not have to be a zero sum game. It is not realistic or practical to play an equal number game – Muslims get 50 and non-Muslims get 50. We should go by the needs of each community,” he added.

Posted in: Asian News, Malaysia GE 2008, Religion, Those Blogs | Comments(0)

Source ::: REUTERS Manila • Contracts with the Philippine government are usually overpriced by at least 20 percent to facilitate kickbacks, a former senior state official told a Senate inquiry into corruption yesterday. In an emotional testimony, Rodolfo Lozada reiterated previous allegations that the Philippines’ top election official had demanded $130 million as his cut for an eventual $329 million telecoms deal with China’s ZTE, double the usual kickback.

But he said he had no evidence that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s husband was involved in the deal. “The whole problem started when Chairman Abalos wanted to protect his $130 million in the project,” said Lozada, an electronics engineer designated to evaluate the ZTE contract. He was head of the state-run Philippine Forest Corp at the time.

“I told him the $130 million was too much and too difficult to cover. Maybe, if it was only $65 million (that would be acceptable).” Benjamin Abalos was forced to resign as election commissioner last year when news of the kickbacks surfaced.

Media reports have said he brokered the deal because of his proximity to powerful officials. Lozada said that a 20 percent overprice in a contract of such magnitude would usually be acceptable.

“It looks like that’s the norm in government,” said Lozada, citing as an example the $1.3 billion Southrail project to improve railway links to and from the capital. Some of the funding has come from China. Lozada said the cost of linking government departments in a broadband network, which is what ZTE had been contracted to do, should only have cost around $132 million.

Arroyo tried to end the controversy over the ZTE agreement last year by cancelling the contract, but the scandal has resurfaced with Lozada’s dramatic appearance before Senate. Lozada said he has no direct evidence or information that would link the president’s husband to the broadband deal, but he did remember having dinner with him, Abalos and representatives from ZTE Corp. at a hotel

in Manila. Before he voluntarily appeared at the Senate inquiry, Lozada said officials tried to prevent him from testifying and even went to the extent of fabricating an official business trip to London to avoid summons by the Senate. “They will not be happy with what you will say there,” Lozada said, quoting his boss, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza. “He told me you’re going to give this administration to the opposition.”

Lozada returned from Hong Kong on Tuesday and went missing for over 24 hours. Police officers picked him up when he disembarked from a plane at Manila’s international airport and drove him for several hours to a province south of Manila, sparking fears that he was abducted. He was later dropped off at a Catholic high school in Manila and a group of nuns from the school has stayed with him throughout his public appearances.

Although deeply unpopular due to a steady stream of corruption allegations, Arroyo’s position is not expected to be threatened from the latest revelations. The Philippine middle-class, instrumental in the overthrow of two former presidents, is fed up with political turbulence and wants stability, political analysts say.

Arroyo, whose final term ends in 2010, has already survived three impeachment bids and would-be opponents are more concerned with preparing themselves for elections in 2010. Only around 100 protesters gathered outside the Senate yesterday chanting “oust Gloria” and carrying placards.

A motorcade of cars driving around the city carried black balloons and posters of a picture of the president and her family labelled “The Arroyos”, in a mock-up of “The Sopranos”, a popular US television show about a mobster and his family. In sometimes tearful testimony yesterday, Lozada said Abalos had threatened to kill him if he went public with his allegations.

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Written by Kazi Mahmood

Monday, 28 January 2008

Spratlys, the disputed Island chain claimed by four Asean nations - the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Vietnam - and eyed by China and Taiwan is again in the limelight with Malaysia’s Premier Abdullah Badawi warning of serious problems with military buildup in the region. The issue is however linked to China’s direct involvement in the region and its own buildup as well as its involvement with Vietnam, the accidental source of an impending arms race in the South East Asian region. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi warned claimant nations to the oil-rich Spratlys in the South China Sea not to assert themselves “militarily,” in the wake of reports that Taiwan had sent a military aircraft to the disputed island chain, reported a Manila based news agency.Badawi made the call at a plenary session of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here Friday evening (past midnight Saturday in Manila) that tackled the potentials of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). China is trying to play a growing role in Vietnam, another country with a Communist regime, in an attempt to diminish the recent increase in U.S.-Vietnam relations. The U.S. on its part is trying to woo Vietnam to join a massive anti-China coalition - at least in the Asean region - and is pressing for more trade and military cooperation with the former Vietcong’s. Undeniably, Vietnam is the latest venue that could stir an arms race in the South East Asian (SEA) region. China plays an important role in Vietnam and has historic differences with the communist leadership while Vietnam is now progressing economically. In Vietnam the rule is to look for new avenues and partners and this has spurred a wave of investment from Japan and the U.S. in Vietnam. The country’s capitalist policies (fiscal policies) has attracted international names from the U.S and Japan generating some US$6 billion in 2006. Taiwan has been directed to play its role in the South China Seas, where China is currently the only super power in control of the region thanks to its close ties with Myanmar and its military bases along the Andaman Seas altogether. By getting Taiwan to attempt at challenging China in Spratlys, Washington is hoping that it would send a shudder to Beijing. It means that Spratlys is not going to be China’s business alone but Taiwan and other nations too. It is salient to note that China has been acting as if Spratlys now belonged to Beijing and has even cut off all talks with the three of the four Asean nations contesting Spratlys and is talking directly to Vietnam. The aim is to bring Vietnam to an agreement on the Spratlys and to prevent the U.S. from having access to the region. This would ease China’s military build up to protect its vital economic routes and defense perimeters altogether. In the future, a total control of the South China Seas by Beijing will allow it to dominate Taiwan, seen as an American lackey in the region. It is also important to note that Vietnam does not want to remain isolated - being a communist country - while China itself has opened its doors to multinationals and others from the capitalist world. Vietnam is thus in competition with the Chinese in grabbing the maximum foreign direct investment, which is already impressive for China. Yet experts tend to agree that Vietnam is playing an economic game, wooing the U.S. into pushing for Vietnam’s entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The economic factors aside, Vietnam is not in a position to prevent either the U.S. or the Chinese and even the Russians from showing great interest in military matters in the region. This interest put Vietnam in the limelight since China is not guaranteed a monopoly in the Vietnamese military involvement in the region. The U.S. is negotiating a permanent base in Cam Ranh Bay and this would change the balance of power in the region if it was to happen. Though the idea is still in the making, Vietnam seem to be in competition with China on military issues and on economic matters. The U.S. is lobbying very hard to gain access to Cam Ranh Bay since this would give it an edge against China’s vulnerable - due to its vastness - economic and defense routes. Citing China’s fresh purchases of anti-ship missiles and a buildup of ballistic missiles in its border with Taiwan, the U.S. seem to be bringing the competition right at the doorstep of China with its interest in Vietnam. However, the U.S. may be playing with fire since Vietnam - an arch enemy in the 1960’s and 1970’s - is certainly not totally subdued to the capitalist appeal of the Americans. China is clearly not in the good mood with the recent visits by high U.S. officials to Vietnam and the recent agreements (military and economical) signed between the U.S. and Vietnam. In November last year, Vietnam was visited by U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez who met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Vietnam, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, has prompted the U.S. to use aggressive diplomatic representations to help expand its market share - that of U.S. companies indeed - into Vietnam. Both nations have buried the hatchet recently after years of cold shoulder which resulted from the war which Vietnam and the U.S. fought an ended in 1975. The U.S. backed opponents to the communists in Vietnam lost the war, allowing the Communist Party to control the country after the U.S. humiliating pull out from Vietnam. Two-way trade between the United States and Vietnam grew from $1.5 billion in 2001, when the two signed a bilateral trade agreement, to $9.7 billion in 2006. China however is generating about $60 billion worth of FDI annually, the largest amount of any developing country. China is also the world’s manufacturing center while it is undeniably a very lucrative market too with its population of about 1.3 billion, Vietnam’s total FDI currently is roughly a tenth of China’s, at about $6 billion annually. Its per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is still about $480, less than half China’s, which has already exceeded $1,000, an article on Asia Times indicated. China is trying to impose its dominance in the Spratlys Island and the South China Sea with an increased presence of its military warships in the region. China constructed ports and other military facilities on its territory in the South China sea and some disputed hot spots in the area. It is moving forward with attempts to fully control the seas near its border and to expand its military presence further, possibly within the Asean region too. As a matter of fact, they surely want control of the seas. China has intensified dialog with Vietnam and put off talks with Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Beijing is pressuring Vietnam to join forces and it is possible to think of China as a future major investor in Vietnam, if talks between the two nations are successful. On the other hand, the State Secretary of the U.S. visited Vietnam from 3rd to 5th of December 2007. The visit was not highlighted on the front pages of Asean news medias but it is of significant importance in the militarization of the entire Asean region. The U.S. and Vietnam signed some agreements to organize military exercises between U.S. and Vietnamese armies. The former enemies will organize sea and land exercises as soon as 2008, it is said. The problem is an arms race is looming, once again, in the region thus targeting the stability of the member states of the Asean altogether. Some observers believe China’s growing military might in the region is drawing the US and Vietnam closer together. This conclusion was made by Sergei Blagov in the Asia Times website. “Engaging Vietnam is an important part of Washington’s greater strategic realignment in Asia, which has historically relied heavily on military bases in South Korea and Japan to maintain a strategic balance of power favorable to US interests,” wrote Sergei Blagov in Asia Times. Vietnam is thus, after Singapore, the latest in possible military build up in the SEA region and this to the dismay of the member states of the Asean. Perhaps the Asean should impose a unified code of conduct for its members to follow in their military endeavors in order to prevent such a military surge in the region, said an observer to WFOL.

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