“Umno has changed…It’s time for other component parties to change.” PRIME Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, speaking at the Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) convention on 7 Apr 2010. He said that losing Selangor to the Pakatan Rakyat was just “temporary”, and a signal that people wanted the BN to change. “[It’s] not […]
Hishammuddin Hussein
The BN’s ISA dilemma
HOME Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein announced in August 2009 that amendments to the Internal Security Act (ISA) would be tabled during the following October Parliament sitting. This was just after the massive anti-ISA protest in Kuala Lumpur. That amendment, however, never materialised. Hishammuddin then said in December 2009 that the ISA amendments would be […]
Are the police shooting to kill?
Norizan Salleh (file pic) POLICE-shooting victim Norizan Salleh never imagined she would ever be shot at. She describes how she felt lying on a highway near Gombak on 30 Oct 2009 after being shot five times by the police while on her way home: “I kept asking myself, ‘Betul ke, saya kena tembak? Is this […]
Boon for upholding Islam
“I hope there will be no more issues arising from the caning sentence which can be imposed by the syariah court on Muslim women to protect the sanctity of Islam.” HOME Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, anticipating the public’s questions about the feasibility and fairness of the caning of three Muslim women for “illicit sex”, […]
No charges in police shooting
PETALING JAYA, 4 Mar 2010: No charges will be brought against police who were involved in shooting single mother Norizan Salleh, but investigations may be conducted into reports that police stepped on her after she was shot. “Her allegations of being stepped on and punched after the shooting may have to be looked into to […]
The Islamic state we deserve?
ON 9 Feb 2010, history was made in Malaysia when three Muslim women were caned at Kajang prison for “illicit sex”, a syariah offence. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the caning was done according to the law, and claimed it “did not result in any wound on [the women’s] bodies”. Hishammuddin must have […]
Trusting the Home Ministry
“About 50 people various nationalities incl students fr local univ arrested under ISA last thur [21 Jan 2010] on alleg of terrorism.” Lawyer and chairperson of the Bar Council’s constitutional law committee Edmund Bon tweeted on the ISA detentions at about 9pm on 26 Jan. He also said that of the 50 persons detained, 38 […]
BN-style resolution to “Allah” issue
WORD is, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is mightily concerned about the “Allah” issue and wants the matter resolved. Forgive me, but it’s hard to believe this, based on the public statements the government has been making. Honestly, how can we believe that the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) government under Najib’s leadership is sincere […]
Responding to “Allah” differently
(Pic by Adrian Van Leen / sxc.hu) PREDICTABLE. This best sums up the reactions by some Muslim groups and the government to the High Court’s 31 Dec 2009 decision to lift the ban on the use of “Allah” by Catholic paper Herald. Malaysians were probably able to anticipate the newspaper headlines and ensuing comments, given […]
Regaining our Malaysian voice
(Pic by Yamamoto Ortiz / sxc.hu) MY New Year wish for all Malaysians is that we will regain our voice. We face an uncertain 2010. But if we are to become politically stable and economically secure, it is now, more than ever, that we need to be able to be openly critical of outdated policies […]
