THE campaign for freedom of information advocated by civil society organisations in Malaysia is now five years old, and finally it has come to fruition. With the new change of state government, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has now taken the bold step of ensuring freedom of information. In November 2009, the menteri […]
Peace treaty with CPM commemorated without M’sia
By Deborah Loh
DESPITE being a signatory to the 1989 tripartite Haadyai Peace Agreement, no official representative from Malaysia attended the 20th anniversary commemorative ceremony held on 30 Nov 2009 in Haadyai, Thailand. The two other signatories to the accords, the Thai government and the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), were respectively represented by Thai Deputy Interior Minister […]
When laws are flouted
By KW MakCorrected on 1 Dec 2009 at 11.45am A FUNCTIONING community is predicated on its members’ acceptance of the laws of the land, and the fact that these laws are applied fairly and justly to all. In a community such as a nation state, the custodian of these laws would be the various government agencies. But […]
Was Chin Peng played out?
By Deborah LohChin Peng arriving at a hotel in Haadyai for a press conference MORE puzzling than the Malaysian government‘s current myopic reaction against the idea of Chin Peng‘s return is the sketchy outline of events soon after the Haadyai Peace Accords. The peace treaty was signed on 2 Dec 1989 to end hostilities between Malaysia and […]
Sebat Kartika: Antara akta, aqidah dan akal
Oleh Juana Jaafar
KES Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno yang disabit bersalah kerana meminum arak telah menimbulkan pelbagai reaksi di kalangan umat Islam di Malaysia. Merujuk kepada artikel-artikel terbitan akhbar arus perdana khususnya, ramai yang menyokong hukuman maksima yang diputuskan oleh Mahkamah Syariah Pahang terhadap Kartika iaitu denda sebanyak RM5,000 dan enam kali sebatan. Walaubagaimanapun, terdapat juga pihak-pihak lain […]
“Govt in denial about HIV/AIDS”
By Ding Jo-AnnKUALA LUMPUR, 30 Nov 2009: The government must stop being in denial about children infected with HIV/AIDS, a child rights’ activist and advocate said today. Hartini“The government should stop saying that there’s no problem, no child prostitution, no children taking drugs, no children with HIV. There are children having sex and taking drugs, that’s the […]
Ensure just LRA amendments
By MCCBCHSTTHE Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) is concerned about the comments by senior federal counsel Mohamad Naser Disa, as reported in theSun newspaper on 25 Nov 2009. The comments were in relation to proposed amendments to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act (LRA) 1976 for situations where one […]
Remembering Pudu Jail (Updated 1 Dec 2009)
Compiled by Nick Choo
Updated 4:55pm, 1 Dec 2009 IN 2002 and 2003, artist and photographer K Azril Ismail spent time exploring the abandoned Pudu Jail in Kuala Lumpur, taking pictures of the cells and areas around the prison. He documented the scratching, messages, writings and drawings on the walls of the prison cells. These, he says, gave outsiders […]
Malaysia, the faithless lover
By Ding Jo-AnnWHEN it comes to international human rights obligations, the Malaysian government has behaved like a faithless lover: making promises to the world it never intended to keep. The banning of Sisters in Islam (SIS)’s book Muslim Women and the Challenge of Islamic Extremism, which is now being judicially reviewed in court, is a demonstration of […]
LRA amendments must protect all parties
By Ding Jo-AnnPETALING JAYA, 26 Nov 2009: The rights of both Muslims and non-Muslims must be protected in amending the Law Reform (Marriage & Divorce) Act 1976 (LRA), several groups said. Bar Council president Ragunath Kesavan said the Bar supported any move to amend the LRA to allow a spouse converting to Islam to file for divorce […]
