KUALA LUMPUR, 31 Dec 2008: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has warned of stern action against those publishing offensive and indecent content about race and religion online. Any action that constitutes a contravention of Malaysian laws in the offline world also constitutes an offence in the online world, including the internet, an MCMC […]
religion
An orthodox Christmas
By Rahel JosephSyrian Orthodox icon GROWING up, I always used to dread explaining to people which religious faith I belonged to. The questions were typical. “You’re a Christian? So you’re not Indian.” As if to imply one could not be both. “Are you Catholic or Christian?” All Catholics are Christians, though all Christians are not always Catholics. […]
The fundamentals of Christmas
By Kathy Rowland(© Wong Mei Teng / sxc.hu)THERE were a couple of Christmases, as a teenager, when my family did not put up a Christmas tree. I’d like to claim that we were opting out of the crass commercialism of garish ornaments and plastic trees. The truth, however, stood a little more to the right of such […]
Discuss religious issues behind closed doors
SHAH ALAM, 22 Dec 2008: Any discussion on religious issues should not be done openly to preserve racial harmony in the country, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Instead, he said, such discussions or dialogues needed to be held behind closed-doors so that those involved would be able […]
“Nothing specifically Hindu about yoga”
By Zedeck SiewYoga practitioner on the top of Ancient Greek’s town of Mycenae (source: wikipedia.org) PETALING JAYA, 11 Dec 2008: There is nothing specifically Hindu about yoga, instructors said, with one adding that it was possible to become a better Muslim because of yoga practice. Yoga instructor Azmi Samdjaga explained that Patanjali, the compiler of the Yoga […]
Accomplishments have no colour
By Munira MustaffaWHEN Barack Obama first broke into the US presidential race, there were mixed reactions. Many people were entertained by his personality, charisma and progressive ideas of change. Some were turned off by his flashiness and pop-star quality. There were those who believed that an [African American] president would never happen. I was one of those […]
Should Malaysians be afraid?
By Yasmin MasidiLORD Devlin’s axiom that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is one that is taken for fact these days. For good reasons, too: reams of writing have been expended on the need for checks and balances in any system of governance, democratic or otherwise. What is less often talked about, at least in a […]
Don’t make yoga fatwa a religious issue: Mahathir
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 Nov 2008: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today urged the relevant parties not to turn the National Fatwa Council’s decision to bar Muslims from practising yoga into a religious issue. “If they (National Fatwa Council) believe it is wrong, then it is wrong. It is unfortunate that other people think […]
MIC politics heats up
Translation by Sevan DoraisamyTHE battle for leadership positions within the MIC took centre stage in the Tamil press between 15 and 21 Nov 2008. MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu remained adamant about defending his position in the 2009 party polls and claimed he was ever ready to take on any challenge. “I will face the challenge,” […]
MCA against merging common law and syariah courts
By Deborah LohKUALA LUMPUR, 19 Nov 2008: The MCA does not agree with the idea of merging the syariah and common law courts as it could result in the syariah being used to govern non-Muslims. The party’s legal bureau chairperson Datuk Leong Tang Chong said in a statement today that the proposed merger would “compel and subject […]
