FOR the past few weeks, several organisations, associations and poor people have come to my office seeking assistance. Most of the assistance they seek is monetary [in nature]. As a ruling party assembly[person], I have the privilege of offering my help by utilising my constituency development fund. [The use of this] fund [is also what […]
Letters to the Editor
Amend law on birth registration
By Datin Paduka Chew Mei FunSHARING in the grief of the fiancé and family over their tragic loss of Teoh Beng Hock, Wanita MCA calls on the government to register Teoh as the father of [his unborn child] upon [his or her] birth. Wanita MCA also wants the government to amend the existing law which necessitates the physical presence of […]
Death by detention
By Daniel ChaiTHE Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) Youth refers to the articles, commentaries, joint statements and various public responses recounting the shocking death of a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) witness, Teoh Beng Hock, under dubious circumstances. This tragedy yet again adds another nauseating leaf to our country’s lack of a credible and transparent system of […]
Dr M’s questionable priorities
By Dr Toh Kin WoonI REFER to the latest posting in (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad‘s blog, in which he criticised non-Malay [Malaysians] for asking for more concessions from state policies. In response to these demands, the current prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) has liberalised rules pertaining to equity ownership in some service sub-sectors and promised to set up […]
State intervention needed for domestic workers
By Ragunath KesavanTHE Bar Council commends the Ministry of Human Resources for proposing that domestic workers be given a rest day and for suggesting that all domestic workers have a standard employment contract. Despite adverse reaction from some individuals, we must proceed to do what is right and uphold human dignity regardless of nationality or class of […]
Buy-back of privatised highway concessions more cost effective
By Tony PuaRECENTLY, there has been a slate of reports by various investment banking research houses criticising proposed plans to buy back the highways from concessionaires — a proposal that has been criticised by the concessionaires themselves. The DAP has suggested that the government buy back all shares of PLUS Expressways Bhd that it does not already […]
Commission on enforcement agencies cannot substitute IPCMC
By K Shan and Moon HuiAMNESTY International Malaysia and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) welcome the initiative of the government in passing of the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC) bill in Parliament on 30 June. We are encouraged by the government’s willingness to act on the concerns raised by civil society and the general public on the diminishing public confidence in […]
Modern-day slavery in Malaysia
By Charles SantiagoTHE condemnation of Malaysia in the United States State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 should not have come as a surprise. In fact, the Malaysian authorities should have anticipated it. The Malaysian government was put on notice of active trafficking in persons in the country a year ago by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and […]
Is domestic violence a crime?
By Mohamad Hafiz HassanIS domestic violence a crime? DAP Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua thinks so. He says domestic violence is a criminal offence under the Domestic Violence Act 1994 (DVA). But that’s an overstatement. The DVA was passed by Parliament on 24 June 1994 and was enforced on 1 June 1996. It was […]
Police must stop harassing lawyers
By Ragunath KesavanTHE Malaysian Bar is alarmed and perturbed that the police continue to harass and intimidate lawyers by calling them in for questioning on matters relating to the execution of their professional duties. Most recently, lawyer Chan Kok Keong was served a Section 111 notice that was silent as to the subject he would be questioned […]
