Duncan couldn't wait to blow out the candles! He cried because his dad didn't let him blow out the candles ... didn't want Duncan's germs on the cake! Haha. I had to cut a small piece of cake for him and put a candle on it so he could blow it out. Ahhhh, I had to re-light the candle several times so that he could continue to blow it out each time!
The Star Online > Nation
Sunday April 23, 2006
Taib: I cannot work with people who oppose me
BY STEPHEN THEN AND SHARON LING
MIRI: The indigenous people in the state can use the coming Sarawak polls to decide whether they want development, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
He said he could only “lead the horse to the water but could not force it to drink.”
He added that it would be impossible for the Sarawak government to work with those who opposed everything the Barisan Nasional planned to do.
“I am saying things bluntly. The state elections is the best time to show what you want.
“If a BN candidate wins, I can work with him. If the opposition wins, how can I work with people who criticise and oppose me?
“This is straight talk, so that you know where you stand. We minimise quarrels if we want to move forward. I say don't fight or else we will frighten away investors,” he told a gathering of senior leaders from the Orang Ulu communities during an open dialogue with them here on Friday evening.
Highlighting the massive development projects he had brought to Sarawak, the country's longest-serving chief minister said if the voters chose to vote against Barisan in any constituency, there was nothing he could do for them.
Sarawak is about to face its ninth state polls.
“This is the awkward scenario. No private investors will come and start projects in areas where there are protests all the time.
“The government alone does not have the massive amount of money needed to bring development to very remote areas. For example, in the highlands, any infrastructure development project will cost over RM200 million.
“If there are protests all the time, these investors will not dare to come.”
Taib said the state government under the Barisan, had established a credibility that was well known even in foreign countries and this had greatly helped spur socio-economic growth.
At another function in Kuching yesterday, Taib remained tight-lipped over poll dates and refused to say when he would meet the Yang di-Pertua Negri to seek the dissolution of the State Assembly.
He also declined to say much about Barisan Nasional’s list of candidates, disclosing only that it was “about two-thirds finalised.”
KUALA LUMPUR, April 20, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Non-Muslims caught kissing and hugging in public will not be punished under the morality laws, a senior Malaysian government official said on Thursday, April 20.
"We will take the Muslim only," Mustafa Bin Abdul Rahman, the director-general of the influential Islamic Development Department of Malaysia, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
He said non-Muslims, even those caught with Muslim partners, would not face action over their indecent behavior.
A furor has broken out in Malaysia over its morality laws, envisaging persecution for people caught in indecent and disorderly behavior.
The Federal Court has ruled that Kuala Lumpur City Hall had the authority to enact by-laws to prosecute people for indecent public behavior.
It gave the magistrate hearing such cases the authority to decide if hugging and kissing constituted indecent behavior.
Muslim Malays comprise about 60 percent of Malaysia’s 26 million people, while ethnic Chinese and Indians - most of them Buddhists, Hindus and Christians - make up about 35 percent. The rest are indigenous people and Eurasians.
Only Muslims
Abdul Rahman said unmarried Muslims caught in indecent behavior will be hauled to religious courts.
"If there is a report of... a Muslim couple acting immorally in an isolated place, then the enforcement will go there," he said.
"If there is evidence the couple is not married and not related then the couple will be brought to the court under Shari`ah law."
The official stressed that unmarried Muslim couples were banned under Islamic teachings from acting "immorally" in secluded places.
Supporters of a Malaysian opposition party have demonstrated outside Kuala Lumpur's City Hall to protest the laws.
Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim has rebuked the laws, describing the religious authorities in Malaysia as "over-zealous".
Ibrahim, the founder of an Islamic youth organization, said the issue had been taken "too far".
"It is doing a disservice to the whole Muslim orientation, the moderate Muslim view," he said.
The Housing and Local Government Minister recently warned that a strict enforcement of the morality laws would have an adverse effect on tourism, a key foreign currency earner.
Malaysia offers the image of a model Muslim country, heading towards the status of developed nation with huge buildings, beautiful cities and a fast track economy.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched on Friday, March 31, an ambitious development plan for Malaysia to become the first developed Muslim nation by 2020.
(Picture courtesy of Reuters)Friday, April 14, 2006
Malaysians protest against laws that make public kissing a crime
(AFP) - Malaysian activists protested at the capital's city hall against laws that make kissing and hugging in public a crime, saying it showed the "Islamisation" of the multicultural nation.
A dozen demonstrators led by the opposition Democratic Action Party's youth wing held hands and waved heart-shaped placards that read "You have the right to kiss" and "Not guilty of hugging" and a banner reading "No to moral policing".
The protest was touched off by a court's decision earlier this month to authorize indecency charges against a young couple accused of kissing and hugging in a park by Kuala Lumpur's iconic Twin Towers in August 2003.
Ooi Kean Thong, 24, and Siow Ai Wei, 22, claim they were slapped with a summons when they refused to pay bribes to two city hall officials, who have denied the claims.
"We want to send a message that it is inappropriate for local government to be the moral police," DAP youth wing deputy chief Chong Chieng Jen told AFP. "The thing about morality is that it differs among different races and religions."
"It defies the spirit of our constitution and also freedom of religion," he said. "If we do not check the trend now we are heading towards a real Islamic state, or going backwards to the medieval time."
The protesters said that while they opposed public indecency, the current law was too vague and liable to abuse and should not be enforced by local authorities.
"There should be a uniform law applicable throughout Malaysia stating clearly what amounts to indecency," they said in a statement.
The protesters accused the city authorities of applying Islamic or Shariah legal principles on both Muslims -- who make up some 60 percent of Malaysia's population -- and the non-Muslim Chinese and Indian communities.
"This is a manifestation of Islamisation of Malaysia without respecting the rights and freedom of the non-Muslims," they said.
The Federal Court ruled that city hall could pursue indecency charges against the ethnic Chinese couple, saying kissing and hugging was not the norm for Malaysians or other Asians and was only acceptable by Western moral standards.
Malaysia's Bar Council spoke out against the ruling, saying displays of affection are common here and that indecency charges should only be applied to maintain public order, and not because behaviour had offended individuals.
The couple are due to face the charges at city hall's court in June. If convicted, they could be fined up to 2000 ringgit (543 dollars) or jailed for up to a year or both.
Malaysia's government promotes a moderate version of Islam but the country has seen a growing influence of Islam over society in the past two decades.
Benevolent Dictator the solution in Iraq, says Dr Mahathir
(Bernama) -- A benevolent dictator is the solution for maintaining stability in Iraq for the time being after democracy seems to have failed, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Wednesday.
The former prime minister said such a leader could control the people from contributing to instability, which would slow down economic development.
"Maybe you have to have a strong hand to stop people from becoming violent. If you allow people to do what they think they like, the country will end in chaos. People will be fighting each other," he said.
Dr Mahathir was speaking to reporters after delivering a keynote address on "Political Stability and Sustainability as a Key Success Factor in Developing Malaysia" at the Perdana Discourse Series at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here.
He said the Iraqis did not understand what democracy was all about when they were asked to be democratic.
"As a result, they are worse under democracy than under benevolent dictatorship," he said, adding that more people were killed during the current democracy period compared to previously.
He said democracy was good but people need to learn how to make democracy work as there were some limitations because people just could not exercise their freedom completely without caring for other people.
In his keynote address, Dr Mahathir said the sharing and sacrifices made by all ethnic groups in Malaysia had contributed to the continued stability in the country.
The Malays, for example, have stopped calling this country "Tanah Melayu" (Land of the Malays) and sacrificed Jawi as their main written language so that others could read the Romanised alphabet, and share this country with the other races.
The other races, too, were willing to make sacrifices by understanding that not 100 per cent of their demands could be fulfilled, and sharing the economic cake of the country, he said.
The one-day Perdana Discourse Series was organised by the Perdana Leadership Foundation and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
At the campus one can get a good haircut for really cheap. The guys could get a hair cut and a shave if they wanted to. There was a wall surrounding the male students dormitory and along that wall was a row of barbers ... doing their business outdoors under a tree or a flimsy shade cloth.
L-R: Tony, Lieutenant-colonel Cuoung, and me.
Not long after I arrived at the university, a young man dressed in a military uniform entered my classroom. The first thing that crossed my mind was, "He's a spy!" I was quite bothered by it, and this young man started asking lots of questions during the class. I couldn't understand him at all because his English was really bad. I tried very hard to figure out what he was saying, but ..
Ten years ago, this month, I arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam to serve as a volunteer English teacher at the Hanoi Agricultural University. I spent almost two years in Vietnam.Bloggers muzzled in Singapore elections
Government prefers 'orderly debate' to 'online chaos'
Simon Burns in Taipei, vnunet.com 04 Apr 2006
Politically themed podcasts will be temporarily banned during forthcoming elections in Singapore, a government minister said yesterday.
Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Singapore's information and communications minister, argued that free-for-all debate could "confuse and mislead the public" and insisted that politically themed blogs must be registered with the government.
Dr Balaji made the comments to clarify existing regulations in response to a question tabled by a fellow ruling party member during a parliamentary session. His comments were later posted on his ministry's website.
"In a free-for-all internet environment where there are no rules, political debates could easily degenerate into an unhealthy, unreliable and dangerous discourse flush with rumours and distortions to mislead and confuse the public, " he stated.
"Private or individual bloggers can discuss politics. However, if they persistently propagate, promote or circulate political issues relating to Singapore, they are required to register with the Media Development Authority.
"During the election period, these registered persons will not be permitted to provide material online that constitutes election advertising."
Singaporean law limits the promotion of political parties and viewpoints during elections.
While Dr Balaji acknowledged that some podcasts could be "quite entertaining ", he warned that the "streaming of explicit political content by individuals during the election period is prohibited under the Election Advertising Regulations".
In addition to podcasts, Dr Balaji said that all streaming online audio and video of a political nature would not be allowed.
"We recognise that people in our society will have their diverse opinions and some will want to share their opinions. But people should not take refuge behind the anonymity of the internet to manipulate public opinion," Dr Balaji stated.
Singapore is a parliamentary democracy with a population of 4.5 million and has been dominated by the same political party for more than 40 years.
While the island's government has been lauded for providing a high standard of living despite very limited natural resources, it has been criticised, both overseas and at home, for perceived restrictions on human rights.
Government ministers occasionally sue opposition politicians and other critics for defamation.
While a date for Singapore's next parliamentary elections, due by mid-2007, has not yet been set, media reports suggest that the government is most likely to call them during the next few months.
The New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur
Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 08:25
Tudung a must for women cops at functions
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With immediate effect, all policewomen will have to wear a headscarf at official functions.
The surprise directive was made by the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar recently.
The New Straits Times understands that all policewomen taking part in the 199th Police Day celebrations parade on Saturday will wear the headscarf.
Bakri told the NST that the change was introduced for the sake of uniformity. He said that those wished to remove the headscarf after the parade may do so.
"It is for every woman officer to wear during the parade. It is not compulsory during other occasions but Muslim personnel are encouraged to wear it at all times.
"If they choose not to wear, it is not a disciplinary offence."
This directive has caused some concern among non-Muslim personnel. They say that the wearing of a headscarf carries a different connotation in some cultures and religion.
For example, Sikh women usually wear a head cover when attending prayers and funerals.
The directive states that policewomen can only wear headscarves of two colours - blue and off-white.
The off-white scarf is for traffic policewomen.
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At the Dewan Rakyat yesterday: Nazri accuses Kok of ‘hatred for Islam’
Reports by Leslie Andres, Shamini Darshni and Ranjeetha Pakiam
March 28
AN Opposition MP was yesterday accused of "hatred for Islam" during a clash with a minister over the directive for policewomen to wear tudung during parades.
It started when Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) told Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nazri Aziz that the directive had violated human rights.
Nazri disagreed, saying the directive concerned uniformity.
This could be seen from the fact policewomen were not compelled to wear the tudung except when taking part in parades.
"It is not going against human rights, it is a matter of uniformity. For instance, parliamentarians wearing the Number One uniform are required to wear a songkok, even though they are Chinese or Indians.
"These people still remain Chinese or Indians and have not converted to Islam. Yang Berhormat (Kok) only shows her hatred for Islam when she brings this subject up," he said.
Kok did not take the remark lightly and demanded that Nazri retract it. She also called the Chair to make a ruling but Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Yusof Yaacob said it was not necessary and ordered the proceedings to continue.
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Local News: PM: Tudung compulsory for police parades
Posted by: azlan on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 07:28 PM
Kuala Lumpur- Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah has made it clear that it is optional for policewomen to wear the "tudung" or headscarf while performing their daily duties but the tudung is compulsory for those taking part in official parades.
He was commenting on the circular issued by the Inspector General of Police, requiring all policewomen to wear the "tudung" or headscarf at official functions, which has attracted debate in the Dewan Rakyat.
On Cabinet's decision to allow government doctors to work part-time in private hospitals or clinics as locum, Dato’ Seri Abdullah said the decision has been made and he does not propose to change it.
The decision was announced by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek yesterday.
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Saturday March 25, 2006
Meeting with PM over tudung ruling
By SIMON KHOO and JANE RITIKOS
KUANTAN: A private meeting will be held with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over a circular compelling all policewomen to wear headscarves at official functions.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said there appeared to be some confusion in the circular issued by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar.
“In my understanding, non-Muslims are given the option whether or not to wear tudung. This is in line with the Government’s policy,” said Fu.
“However, the wording of the circular appears to be contradictory and needs further clarification,” he said.
Fu added that he and the other Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum would discuss it with Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, for a decision and a directive on the issue.
In making the order for policewomen to wear headscarves, Mohd Bakri had said it was for the sake of uniformity.
The ruling reportedly made non-Muslims unhappy, leading to a shouting match between government backbenchers and Opposition MPs over the issue in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.
In Kuala Lumpur, Johari said the wearing of headscarves was only for official parades for the sake of uniformity.
“It is only compulsory for those taking part in such parades. It is for them to look nice and uniformed,” he said, adding that the ruling did not apply to the 199th Police Day celebration yesterday, as it was “just a gathering.”
Johari said at other times neither non-Muslim nor Muslim policewomen would be compelled to wear headscarves.
“There is no compulsion, not even for Muslim policewomen. But if they want to wear, it is good,” he said.
On concerns raised by certain parties that while it was not compulsory to wear tudung, those who chose not to might be intimidated, he said: “The directive is very clear that it is only for parades.”
Meanwhile, Gerakan Youth described the directive as shocking, saying it contravened religious rights and violated the Constitution.
“The headscarf should not have been imposed on uniform units in this country,” vice-chairman S. Paranjothy said, adding that the police force was a uniformed body and changes should not be made at its whims and fancies.
Tuesday, April 4, 2006
The Sun
PUTRAJAYA: The local government has the power to establish by-laws to prosecute citizens who behave disorderly in public, the Federal Court ruled yesterday.
Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, together with Federal Court judges Datuk Alauddin Sheriff and Datuk Richard Malanjum, unanimously held that the Datuk Bandar of Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) was correct to charge two students for behaving indecently by hugging and kissing at Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park.
The court ruled that Section 8 (1) of the Park By-Laws, the section invoked by the Datuk Bandar to punish persons caught behaving indecently in public was constitutional.
Following the ruling, two students, Ooi Kean Thong, 24, and Siow Ai Wei, 22, will have to defend themselves against the charge levelled against them at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall Court.
Their case is fixed for mention on June 1. Both had pleaded not guilty to committing the offence at the park at 5.20pm on Aug 2 2003.
If convicted, they could be fined not exceeding RM2,000 or jailed up to a year, or both.
Ahmad Fairuz said the (Federal) court's answer to constitutional question referred to them, whether Section 8 (1) is ultra vires the Local Government Act 1976 and infringed Article 5 (1) of the Federal Constitution (relating to freedom of life) was in the negative.
The two students had challenged the validity of Section 8 (1) contending that the Local Government Act 1976 which is the parent act governing local authorities did not empower the Datuk Bandar to make local by-laws on matters of decency.
They alleged that they were given a summons because they refused to bribe the enforcement officers. In January last year, the two officers pleaded not guilty to corruption charges in the Sessions Court and their case is pending.
Counsel S. Selvam, for the students, submitted yesterday that the Datuk Bandar had failed to consider the fact that Malaysia is a multiracial country and that the act of hugging and kissing is an expression of love which should be encouraged.
"The students should be given freedom to live but there was serious infringement by the Datuk Bandar of the two students' fundamental liberty and constitutional rights," he said.
Ahmad Fairuz said: "So, they should be given freedom to live as they like? The constitution allows all citizens to do that (hugging and kissing) even by the roadside, in public park?
"In England, those acts are acceptable to the people in that country but is kissing and hugging acceptable to Malaysian citizens? Is the act according to the morality of the Asian people?"
Selvam replied that there was nothing wrong with hugging and kissing because it was an act to express their love.
He said the Datuk Bandar had created a law which was prejudicial and caused hardship to both students and this was unfair.
Deputy public prosecutor Manoj Kurup argued that it should be left to the trial judge to decide whether the act of hugging and kissing was a disorderly behaviour.
He said there was no need to have specific words in the act to legislate by-laws for a specific purpose.
Couple charged for affection
A Malaysian couple caught by enforcement officers holding hands in a public park have been charged in court with indecent behavior, local media said yesterday. Ooi Kean Tong, 22, was charged Wednesday for allegedly hugging and kissing his girlfriend Siow Ai Wei, 20, in a Kuala Lumpur park, the New Straits Times reported. Ooi pleaded not guilty. If found guilty, he could face a maximum fine of 2,000 ringgit (US$526) or a year in jail or both. The case provoked a public outcry at the time when the couple said they were only holding hands and alleged that they were issued a summons because they had refused to bribe the officers, who were charged with corruption in January.
