Ahli-ahli Katagender memprotes fatwa anti-pengkid pada 7 Nov 2008 (Gambar oleh Lainie Yeoh) JANGAN cabar fatwa. Itulah arahan yang dikeluarkan oleh Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, tanggal 10 Nov 2008. Menurut laporan Utusan Malaysia, arahan tersebut dikhususkan kepada pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) bukan Islam, Katagender dan Food-not-Bombs, yang berdemonstrasi […]
Racist pride and prejudice
By Hafidz BaharomTHE transvestites involved in the Bachok beauty pageant have finally been sentenced in the Kelantan Syariah Court. One of them, a teacher, was not only found guilty for dressing as a woman, but was transferred from his job posting. It was bad enough that he had to pay a RM1,000 bond to the Kelantan Syariah […]
The perils of social action
By Sim Kwang YangParticipants of the candlelight vigil commemorating the first anniversary of the 2007 Bersih rally I WAS surprised by the brute force used by the police when dispersing the 9 Nov 2008 candlelight vigil organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih). They arrested 23 participants, including a Member of Parliament, a state assemblyperson, […]
The Malaysian Obama
By Wong Chin Huat(Obama image public domain; Abdullah image © Wan Leonard) COMMENTING on Barack Obama’s presidential victory, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi assured Malaysians that anyone can become prime minister of the country. But one wonders if anyone actually believes him. Just two time-zone-adjusted days before Obama’s election, the New Straits Times‘s Syed Nadzri reminded […]
“There is no compulsion in religion”
By Shanon ShahIN part two of this exclusive interview, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kulim-Bandar Baru, Zulkifli Nordin, shares his views with The Nut Graph about the position of Islam in Malaysia. Although he remains staunch about defending Islam’s position, Zulkifli was surprisingly candid in his asides regarding Islamic laws in Malaysia. On […]
US-Malaysia political parallels
By Tricia Yeoh(© Transplanted Mountaineer, source: Wikipedia.org) BARACK Obama’s presidential victory has been celebrated around the world, from Kenya, to Indonesia, to Japan. Democrats in the United States are obviously elated, and are hopeful for a new future. Indeed, this has been one of the most historic and highly anticipated elections in the US. Multiple parallels can […]
Editors want media laws reviewed first
By Elizabeth LooiPETALING JAYA, 11 Nov 2008: Editors and media stakeholders have called for the government to review media restrictive laws before setting up the proposed national media council. Most of them feel that the proposed council would only end up as another regulatory body if laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and […]
Call for apology, resignation over Bersih gathering
By Ng Boon HooiUpdated 11 Nov 2008, 6:15pm KUALA LUMPUR, 11 Nov 2008: Civil society groups have called on the Home Minister to apologise and for the Selangor police chief to resign over the use of excessive force during the police crackdown during the Bersih gathering in Petaling Jaya on 9 Nov. In a statement released during a […]
Fatwa on tomboys violates constitution
KUALA LUMPUR, 11 Nov 2008: A collective promoting women’s political participation says the fatwa on tomboyism and the proposed ruling on yoga contravene the constitution and Malaysia’s international commitments. The Women’s Candidacy Initiative (WCI) said the fatwa on tomboys contravenes Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which prohibits gender discrimination. The WCI added that any […]
Freeing the judiciary
By Chan Kheng HoeTHE disclosure that former Lord President Tun Salleh Abas received RM5 million as ex-gratia from the government has stirred up some strong emotions among Malaysians. Many are already trying very hard to cope with the rising cost of living, no thanks to the government’s drastic fuel price increase. Fuel prices have dropped, but the cost […]
