Al Islam apologises to Christians

Islamic magazine Al-Islam has issued an open apology to the Catholic Church and Christians, which has been posted on the website of its publisher, Utusan Karya.

According to the apology, the magazine apologised for running the May 2009 special report, titled 'Tinjauan Al-Islam Dalam Gereja: Mencari Kesahihan Ramaja Melayu Murtad'.

Al-Islam said that the report had "unintentionally hurt the feelings of Christians especially Catholics".

The monthly magazine also explained that the report was to investigate allegations of apostasy and the actions of its journalists were never intended to deride the Christian faith, let alone desecrate their house of worship.

It stated that Al-Islam journalists who wrote the article also apologised for unintentionally hurting the feelings of Christians in the pursuit of their duty.

Malaysiakini was informed that Kuala Lumpur Catholic archbishop Murphy Pakiam has already been told about the apology. But attempts to contact Pakiam at his residence for comment has so far been unsuccessful.

Sources close to Utusan Karya, which is subsidiary of Umno-ownedUtusan Malaysia, said the apology was already in the works but it was delayed as they had to consult with lawyers about the legal ramifications.

This apology came following Thursday's press conference where Pakiam told reporters that the church would be satisfied if they received an apology from the magazine or its publishers over the matter.

However, this only came after the blogosphere was set abuzz with the insensitive comments made by the AG. After my posting yesterday, the following appeared in the following blogs with furore :

1. Martin Jalleh

2. Malaysiakini [Readers' comments]

3. K Sudhagaran Stanley

4. Lim Kit Siang

5. The Nut Graph

6. Malaysiakini

What kind of AG do we have to give such flimsy excuses

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has decided not to press charges against the two reporters who wrote an article about the church and Islam in a magazine.

He said taking stern action would not be in the interest of justice, peace and harmony at this particular time. “I have previously decided similarly in other cases where the circumstances were quite similar involving other religions, under those circumstances taking serious action would not be in the interest of justice at that particular time,” he said in a statement here today.

He said a police report was lodged in respect of an article published in Majalah Al-Islam entitled “Tinjauan Al-Islam Dalam Gereja:Mencari Kesahihan Remaja Melayu Murtad” in its May 2009 issue.

“The police commenced investigation and submitted the investigation papers to my Chambers,” he said.

Abdul Gani said the investigation revealed that the two reporters went into the Church of St Anthony at Puduraya to verify allegations that Muslims were converted into Christianity and the use of the word “Allah”.

“Their observations showed that such allegations were not true. In the church, they were given the white bread by the pastor which they subsequently brought back to their office.

“It was further disclosed that they did not know the significance of the white bread. No disturbance was caused in the church. In fact, no one in the church was aware that they were Malays,” he said.

Abdul Gani said the actions of the two reporters might have hurt the feelings of the people but he was satisfied that they did not intend to offend anyone and it was an act of sheer ignorance. — Bernama

I almost felt like throwing up after reading the comments by our AG. To be appointed to such esteem position must surely reflect a high level of intelligence compared with the normal man. The statements made by him however reflect the contrary.

Allow me to express my view. To the comments shaded in brown - so he had decided on similar cases in the past. Were the culprits Muslims, Hindus, Christians or atheists? If the perpetrators were non-Muslims, I bet you, the law will be in full swing and to top it all, street demonstrations will be the call of the day, with special "permits" granted to them. So, Mr AG, can we know the nature of the such cases you have handled in the past. However, if the perpetrators were Muslims, as in the Al Islam case, then you are only encouraging Muslims to carry on doing what they have been doing, since you do not consider it an act of aggravation.

Remarks shaded in blue - the host was brought back to Al Islam office? For what? To keep as a souvenir and gloat over it? The fact is, they had it in their mouths and spitted it out on the ground and then have the host photographed. Mr AG, it is all in black and white in the month's issue of Al Islam or are your blind? How would the Muslims react if a non-Muslim were caught abusing the Holy Quran by throwing it on the ground and then spitting on it, and later plead ignorance? Would you treat this case as 'NFA' or throw the books at the culprits? The host, like the Holy Quran, is a spiritual item and therefore, must be accorded its due respect. You are a lawyer so you have must heard of "Ignorantia juris haud excusat", which now brings me to my next point.

Remarks shaded in pink - no disturbance in the church? Of course, there was none because no one was aware of the incident. If someone had been aware, I cannot imagine what would have happened to the two reporters. They would probably be hauled up bodily and brought to the nearest police station to be charged. Similarly to visiting a mosque, the moment you step into the premise, there is a code of conduct that need to be observed. In any case, if the two Al Islam reporters had wanted to check out whether there are any Muslim in the congregation, why didn't they seek the permission of the priest prior? I am sure he would only be too happy to welcome them to sit in during the mass and observe.

Towards, this end, an apology is in order.

It's about Simon Cowell

Since the "American Idol" is a hot topic at the moment, here is something you should know about Simon Cowell.

AMERICAN Idol judge Simon Cowell is planning a low-key wedding at an English church where his mother, Julie Cowell, worships.

Cowell, well known as the acerbic judge in the Idol show, got engaged to make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy last month.

According to a Daily Mirror report, the music mogul's mother said she was "very excited about the wedding" and would love to see her son get hitched at St Margaret's in Rottingdean, East Sussex, south-east England.

Julie told the tabloid: 'I'm very excited about the wedding and I'd love him to get married at St. Margaret's. But it's up to him and Mazghan."

People magazine reported that Miss Hussainy, 36, has been sporting a large diamond ring on her left hand lately, reigniting speculation that the fickle judge had finally found his match.

Second ceremony

Cowell's UK rep Max Clifford told People last week that Simon, 50, and Hussainy "are very suited."

"She is someone who is independent and says what she thinks and feels, and he likes that. He's probably the happiest I have ever known him in the nine years I've been working with him."

It is also reported that Simon is considering having a second ceremony in Los Angeles to please his fiancee's family but friends of Simon say the plans are already stressing him out.

According to People, Amanda Holden - who sits alongside Simon on the judging panel of UK TV show 'Britain's Got Talent' - claims his romance with Hussainy has made him much easier to work with.

She said: 'He's a different man - more giggly, naughty and silly. Trust me, this girl is 'The One'.

'Simon's a better boss when he's in love because he just wants to go home, which means we get off earlier.'

An Open Letter To All Defecting PKR MPs

To : All Defecting PKR MPs

From : Shamsuddin Kamal

Re : An Open Letter

Three PKR MPs have so far quit the party and turned independent, meaning turned BN MPs anyway, you have that right, but also the people who elected you have some rights.

All of you left the party upon which you were elected and singled out one reason: no faith in leadership.

Some even said they want to go back to Umno (either directly or indirectly) because of bangsa dan agama. Well, dear MPs, most Malaysians know why you are leaving and these are the reasons:

1. UMNO is behind the spate of defections to hurt Anwar Ibrahim and whoever it finds that has a weak heart, it snatches him/her away to play along.

2. UMNO wants to humiliate Anwar Ibrahim and whoever it finds has a wicked heart, it beckons him so that he/she will play along.

3. UMNO wants to salvage whatever that’s remaining of its credibility and does so by playing the racial card and it brings alone anyone who can’t see beyond its devilish tactics and so far it has gotten few.

4. UMNO wants to incessantly attack Anwar Ibrahim and his family and it will spend any amount of money on whoever it finds is susceptible to corruption and so far it has gotten few.

5. UMNO controls the state apparatus and scares anyone who is involved in shady deals forcing him/her to join UMNO or turn independent-read supporting UMNO/BN unconditionally and so far it has gotten few.

6. UMNO is collecting whoever it finds has a case and uses that case against him/her to switch sides and so far it has gotten few.

7. UMNO knows it can’t get elected PAS leaders because PAS leaders swear to their Creator Allah the Almighty to remain faithful to their ideals whatever may come and therefore it looks for those who swear by God but can only be described by the Qur’anic verse: “They swear by Allah that they are indeed (part) of you; but they are not of you: yet they are afraid (to appear in their true colours).” (Yusf Ali 9: 56)

8. UMNO knows it can’t get DAP MPs because they are committed to a cause and therefore it instigates the ones who aren’t committed to anything and therefore who behave like the hypocrites. “La ila ha ula, wa la ila ha ula” (neither here nor there) as Allah describes the hypocrites.

9. UMNO knows who has a weak mind and heart, which can be bought and therefore it sets traps for those and when they fall, the choice is one: go and insult Anwar Ibrahim and PKR and say I’m an independent MP-read UMNO/BN MP and so far it has gotten few.

10. UMNO is doing this to get a case against its rivals, particularly the man it spends sleepless nights on devising ways and means to cripple him, and so far it has gotten few wicked souls who have breached their trust in God and in the people.

11. UMNO gave everyone an Utusan Malaysia typical statement, say PKR and PR are not fighting for Islam/Malays and that Anwar failed to act on my/our message. The disdain you have for my people the Malays, the belief that we can’t see through you shenanigans is interesting indeed. I will remind you what Abu Jahl told the men who plotted at night to relieve the Holy Prophet’s clan from the crippling sanctions but posed as innocently concerned: Hadha amrun qad dudhiya bilalyl (This is a secret plan hatched by the previous night). We can see through your Allah, Islam and the Malay jokes.

12. None who say his complaints have not being acted upon gave an input earlier or commented on the above issues in any way that’s responsible, honest or inclusive. Former PKR Sec. General Salehuddin Hashim told a Western newspaper and a news agent two months ago that Malaysia will fail if UMNO continues to use racial and religious issues to divide the nation and he gave Malaysia only one decade to collapse. This was after UMNO members burnt some churches. Today, he was supporting the defecting MP on why UMNO is right in instigating evil in the nation on the same issue. Sometimes you cry why God gives time to some people when they can be so wicked and hypocritical but He knows much. “And do not think Allah to be heedless of what the unjust do; He but giveth them respite against a Day when the eyes will fixedly stare in horror.” (14: 42)

It should be noted that none of the MPs who have gone to BN by claiming that they are independent has offered leadership and ideas. None has come out with a political platform to share with the nation. None has gone back to his/her voters to tell one million reasons why suddenly working with UMNO and betraying the PR flag was the moral choice and none has sought an answer from his voters. None has given an intelligent answer as to why they didn’t provide the leadership they aspire for.

None has being true to what he has said. None has not been mentioned as a potential frog by the people and the blogs months before he/she has left the people and joined the evil ones. None has been brave enough to tell the people the true nature of their actions. And none has been true to One, the Almighty Allah SW.

The turncoats should be remind that they are being used by UMNO to do one thing: to hurt Anwar Ibrahim, but you forget that you are hurting the people who have left their working stations in far away places to campaign for you, work for you, donate to you and eventually vote for you to win. In fact, Anwar is getting sympathy today than he was yesterday. You might not have hearts but the people have and the people will show it to you. They won’t forget what you have done, in fact, while the UMNO machinery that coerces you may be happy, neither Allah SW who demands honesty nor your voters are happy. And God will give us the opportunity to exact revenge against you when you expect the least.

For UMNO that’s doing this in the belief that it will break the back of Anwar, I say this to you, Anwar is a mortal, he can drop dead any moment- so you are betraying the people you aspire to lead; but the people who have been hurt will live in multitudes to compare the notes with you and the turncoats at the right time and I sum up all this with an ancient proverb: The one whose death is being planned has a God too who will save him. God will save this nation, Anwar Ibrahim, PAS, DAP, PKR and all the moral forces in this nation. You shall live long enough to witness it. For now, continue with your evil mechanizations but the Great Master-Allah SW- shall work for those who desire good.

“And those who strive in Our (cause),- We will certainly guide them to our Paths: For verily Allah is with those who do right.” (29: 69)

P.S. To PR supporters, the struggle continues and awakening the nation continues and preparing for tomorrow continues and as RPK said yesterday, selecting the candidates starts today and PKR should subject them to Bay’ah like PAS. Like Chinua Achebe said, for every noble cause, few heads must roll and along the way the men and women who are fighting evil must meet evil and feel pain but we shall overcome.

We trust in Allah and in our people. We shall overcome.

[Source: The Malaysian Insider]

An Open Letter To All Pakatan Members

To : Pakatan Members

From : Emmanuel Joseph

Re: An Open Letter

Dear friends,

We cannot let them win. We cannot let hopelessness and despair triumph over justice and truth. We cannot succumb to helplessness and self-pity. And most importantly, we cannot self-destruct.

It is convenient and most tempting to raise a finger and point out PKR as the weak link in the PR chain, to blame all that is happening today on Anwar Ibrahim. After all they clung on stubbornly to their allocated seats and placed postmen and washouts to contest instead of giving way to PAS’ or DAP’s more qualified, loyal candidates.

But in more ways than one, it was also PKR and its leader Anwar Ibrahim that has raised Pakatan to the level it is now. PKR helped smooth things out between conservative DAP and hardline PAS in the shaky first few weeks, and subsequently PKR played the role as a stabilising force in Pakatan, grounding the ideals of both its partners, and allowing PAS and DAP to cement their ties to the current warm levels.

It was the world’s interest in Anwar Ibrahim’s brand of moderate Islam that pressured the government into attempting to out-Islamise Pakatan’s PAS, and in the process, alienate itself from half the Malaysian electorate. Anwar’s profile in the international community, and his wide coverage in WSJ, CNN and IHT often has Wisma Putra scrambling to etch some cover story and often they are forced to ‘summon’ diplomats to ‘explain’ issues to them.

When Anwar spoke, the world paid attention. And so did Malaysians. This newfound stability, mutual respect and trust, turned Pakatan from an uneasy alliance to a serious political force to be reckoned with. And eventually, Barisan noticed.

Dear friends,

Attempt after attempt was made to destabilise the alliance, starting with attacking individual Selangor’s Excos and MB, the coup d’etat in Perak,the crossover of a Kedah assemblyman, the anti-Islamic allegations against Penang’s state leadership, the oil royalty fiasco in Kelantan.

Every trick in the book was used, lies, damned lies and statistics were thrown around, misleadingly named NGOs and ‘NGO Alliances’ were used, and the mainstream media was manipulated, all to break up this one credible threat that existed against Barisan.

When they realised going after the states did not work, individuals were lured, to defect, and for the first time in Malaysian political history, we heard the term ‘BN-friendly Independent’. And this last few weeks, the BN-controlled media screamed headlines and painted a bleak, hopeless picture of Pakatan, depicting it as a fragile alliance falling apart, culminating in the multiple defections from PKR.

In doing this, they hope to break the only thing that keeps Pakatan together, its spirit. It was this spirit that had PAS, PKR and DAP back each other at the risk of each losing support from their traditional bases.

It was this spirit that captured the imagination of the rakyat, brought back hope to a seemingly hopeless nation, renewed the strength of worn out social activists, and put the fight back in a generation that forgot how to struggle. And that is the spirit they want to kill. But this spirit must not die. It must live, spread and burn brighter.

Dear friends,

In their arrogance, the defectors spoke as if their voice echoed the views of their constituents. In their haughtiness, they spoke as though the party won because of them, and not the other way around. They spoke of betrayal, when in truth; it was the people that were betrayed. They spoke of loyalties, when it was peddled cheaply to the highest bidder.

Eventually, the people will judge them. Eventually, their Creator will judge them. I am sure they have plenty to talk about, especially over their liberal use of His name.

Pakatan is not the only one beset with problems. Barisan has a party with two people claiming to be president. They have a party where two people wanting to be deputy president. They have a party where the party does not know what to do with the president. They have a party where a disputed president of another party has to step in to solve a dispute involving another two disputing presidents!

And most of the parties don’t know what to do with themselves. And you thought DAP and PAS had problems?

As for the rest of us, we would do well and remember and remind each other all the things that happened in the last two years. Rolling cow heads, racially charged demonstrations, burning churches and suraus, deaths in custody, our dead ancestors being labelled as prostitutes and beggars, nonchalant crossing of political divides like it’s a paddy field, fighter jets that don’t fly and submarines that cannot dive, mysterious disappearances of individuals worthy of the X Files, rising taxes and cost of living and lower income and spending ability.

We would do well to remember all this. We would do well to never forget. And we would do well; to never let them win again. Dust off the flags and banners my friends. It’s not over yet.

[Emmanuel Joseph is a member of DAPSY Klang.]

Even Marina Mathathir kena censored

The Column That Wasn't

By Marina Mahathir

Folks, I’m posting here what should have been my Musings column tomorrow. The Star has refused to publish it because, after what happened to P. Gunasegaram’s article which was pulled out after the Home Ministry gave them a show-cause letter, they don’t want any ’sensitive’ articles that may jeopardise their KDN permit.

Now I’ve been writing for the Star for about 20 years now, believe it or not, and although it would be much easier and freer to just blog, I maintain my column because of the discipline and because of my many loyal readers who don’t necessarily read anything online. There have been other times when my column has been in danger of being censored (and very occasionally edited to sound gentler and nicer..) but still they came out when they were supposed to.

But this time they were adamant. As it happened, this evening I attended a dinner held by the MCA for NGOs. The MCA, as you may know, owns The Star. It was high irony for me to have so many people, including top MCA officials, tell me that they faithfully read my column when their own paper won’t publish it tomorrow. I was seated next to Dato Sri Ong Tee Keat himself and complained about it but he wasn’t keen to rock the boat, even though every time someone like me is censored, it’s one point gained by the conservatives who, rather than argue things out with proper facts, would simply prefer to shut everyone up.

Of course the problem is the Publishing and Printing Presses Act itself which requires every single publication to apply for a permit every year. And no media which wants to survive can afford to get shut down.

But still there is room for courage, to stand up for freedom of speech. If we capitulate every time, then why bother publishing at all?

Indeed the space for any form of public discussion is narrowing every day, with not only the PPA being used but also police reports against anyone who puts forward the slightest alternative or opposing view. This is what keeps the cops busy these days, instead of catching snatch thieves, robbers, rapists and other real social ills.

Yet online there is room for all points of view and is it really so bad? In this blog, I allow all points of view and what I’ve found is that when you allow it, apart from a few stubborn ones, eventually the humanity of everybody comes through. There is a yearning to understand one another but that can’t be done if there is no space for learning. Nor would you gain that insight into people if you didn’t allow everyone to express themselves.

And as many have pointed out, what is the point of censoring the mainstream media when there is the freewheeling internet? The other point we should make to people like The Star is, what is the point of constantly sucking up to the Government when they can still turn around and bite you? Not everyone has to be Utusan. Self-respect is important too, no?

So anyway, here’s the Column That Wasn’t:

When we want to compete with anyone in any field we seek those who are better than us. And we keep going until finally we are recognized as the best. For example, a tennis player starts at the unranked bottom and tries to play and win against better players until finally there is nobody to beat.

We do not however insist that everybody comes down to our level or to play badly in order for us to win.

This is what puzzles me about the syariah courts in our country. In 1988 a clause was inserted into our Constitution that has been interpreted as having erected a Berlin Wall between the syariah and the civil courts. Basically Article 121(1A) said “the courts referred to in Clause (1) shall have no jurisdiction in respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the syariah courts.” This has caused untold problems because real life sometimes dictates that some issues cross over both jurisdictions. But leave that aside for a moment.

Although the new clause did not say that the two separate courts were equal to one another, there are some people who are of the view that the syariah court is superior to the civil courts simply because syariah law is deemed of a higher order than civil laws. This is because apparently God made syariah laws while mere human beings made the civil laws. Never mind the fact that human beings have been changing syariah laws over the years, for instance, by loosening laws that protected women from losing all their property to their divorced husbands. Like other laws in this country, syariah laws have to be drafted, tabled and passed through our various lawmaking bodies whether at the State or Federal levels. This process leaves a lot of human fingerprints all over them.

Civil laws are drafted, tabled and passed through Parliament. The difference is that at the tabling stage , they have to be debated before they are passed. The quality of the debate may be sometimes wanting but debated they are. This process provides some sort of ‘quality control’ over the laws so that they are hopefully current, reflect realities and are just.

The same does not hold true of syariah laws. When they get tabled at State Excos, non-Muslims do not participate because there is the notion that they cannot partake in any such debate. That leaves only the Muslim Excos, few of whom are women. This means that if a bill affects women, the opinions of the female minority in the Exco can be ignored. Furthermore, most people are ignorant about their religion and tend to leave these matters to those they believe know best. Thus if the State Mufti or religious adviser says it’s a good law, they are unlikely to challenge him. Thus are religious laws passed unscrutinised.

Until, that is, something happens such as when someone gets convicted of a syariah crime and punishment is meted out. Who knew until recently that people could get caned for drinking, or for having a baby out of wedlock until the recent cases of Kartika and the three women?

Not only are these laws not debated when they are being made but they can’t be debated afterwards either, unlike civil laws. To do so, according to some people, is akin to arguing with God it seems. (There are however some who think that God welcomes such arguments just so that He can prove He is right).

If one believes that syariah laws are superior to civil laws, should they not be held to higher standards? Should they not be subjected to more rigorous debate than civil laws out of fear that they may be unjust? If syariah courts are deemed superior to civil courts, should not their processes be more transparent and efficient? How is it that there are innumerable women having to undergo tremendous suffering because syariah court orders to their divorced husbands to pay child maintenance cannot be enforced?

How is it also that we suddenly hear about women being caned without any information about the processes they went through? Did they have the benefit of legal representation and heard in an open court? If they did, who were their lawyers and what defense did they mount?

Surely the best court of law is one that strives for justice, which shows it is fair to all parties. In this case, on whose behalf was justice served?

I have no problems with syariah laws if their foundation is justice, equality and non-discrimination for all, even non-Muslims. But when their intent, processes and enforcement are unfair, they only give the impression that Islam is unjust and discriminatory. Surely to give such an image of Islam is a sin.

[The column is not in today's Star]

Good news! She will be back - April 19 2010

Lawyers acting for Selangor political aide Teoh Beng Hock, who died in suspicious circumstances, have described the admission by a government pathologist that he could have been strangled prior to death as a major break in their quest for the truth.

Gobind Singh Deo, counsel for his family, and Malik Imtiaz, counsel for his employer the Selangor state government, wrung the hard-won admission from Sungai Buloh head pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor during cross-examination on Monday.

They are now waiting for Thai forensic expert Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, whom Gobind told Harkahdaily would arrive on April 19 to add further clarity to the case, in which the Malaysian authorities have been widely accused of trying to cover up.

“It is a very significant break. Initially all three government pathologists refused to acknowledge the possibility of strangulation even though Dr Pornthip could spot the pressure marks around Teoh’s neck just from looking at the photographs taken of the body,” Gobind told Harakahdaily.

“Now Dr Shahidan has conceded that the first autopsy conducted by the other two government doctors were not carried out in proper procedure and he has also confirmed he saw the abrasions on the neck.”

Pornthip could spot it, but not the government doctors

Shahidan had been asked to carry out the second post-mortem on Teoh after the Coroner ordered an exhumation following testimony by Dr Pornthip that there was an 80 percent chance that Teoh had been murdered.

At the start of today’s inquest, Shahidan explained that the signs to look for in cases of custodial death are pressure marks around neck for possible strangulation, and conducting dissection of limbs and muscle for signs of possible beating and internal injuries.

He agreed that both procedures were not carried out in the first autopsy and concurred with Gobind that it was strange that abrasion marks on the neck were not in the post-mortem reports issued by Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim and Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar.

Dr Shahidan also admitted that his own report lacked details of investigations into the abrasions. In fact, his admission in court today that it was possible Teoh could have been strangled directly contradicts his report, which rules out manual strangulation although there was evidence of bruises on and contusions to Teoh’s neck.

Nevertheless, he still tried his best to defend his government colleagues against Gobind’s accusations of incompetency.

“The superficial injuries on the neck would have only been evident after 24 hours, that’s why they couldn’t see the marks. The signs of asphyxia were not apparent on Teoh Beng Hock’s neck,” Shahidan said during cross-examination.

“If it weren’t for Dr Pornthip’s testimony, we would not know about the cause of injuries to the neck of the deceased. Now, there is a possibility that Teoh Beng Hock was strangled on the 14th floor of the MACC. Now I didn’t say strangled to death, I said strangled. These are material facts to be considered in this case,” Gobind retorted.

Plot against his boss, Ean Yong

The court has fixed March 10 for the cross-examination of Dr Shahidan to continue. It will also call on Kajang councilor Tan Boon Wah to take the witness stand.

The body of the 30-year Teoh - a former journalist - had been found on the fifth floor podium of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, where he had visited the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s 14th floor office for questioning as a witness into alleged corruption by his boss, Seri Kembangan assemblyman and state executive councilor Ean Yong Hian Wah.

There have been widespread accusations that Ean was being victimized as part of a plot by senior Umno leaders to topple the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government. Till now, the MACC – frequently lambasted as a stooge for top Umno leaders – have not pressed any charges against Ean.

The MACC and all three government pathologists including Shahidan have alleged that Teoh committed suicide. But Teoh’s family and his employers are adamant he was murdered as he was due to register his marriage on the day his body was found. He was also looking forward to the birth of his son with his long-time fiancée Soh Cher Wei.

"We pray that more and more of the truth will be revealed as the inquest takes its course. Today was very encouraging and we hope that Beng Hock will get the justice that he deserves," Ean told Harakahdaily.

[Source: Harakah Daily]

We, the quirky Malaysians

MALAYSIANS – whether they are on the side of 1Malaysia or Middle Malaysia –- are all the same.

They show a different colour only when they are bashing a political foe or trying to 'kill off' the other driver on the highway.

Other than that they are united by the same quirks, oddities, conceit, arrogance, eccentricity, quibbles , whims, fancies and ..yes.. the same foul language ... among other things

Following are some 'national traits' that build the boleh attitude among Malaysians more than any act of meritocracy, credibilily and integrity.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR HAIR LOSS:
Ajinomoto

NATIONAL INSTANT FOOD:
Maggi Mee

NATIONAL BREAKFAST:
Nasi Lemak

NATIONAL LUNCH:
Nasi Ayam

NATIONAL SUPPER:
Roti Canai and Teh Tarik

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE:
Traffic Jam

NATIONAL CONDOM:
None. Most Malaysians still feel embarrassed buying condoms.
So they rush into a 7-11, hurriedly grab the nearest pack, any pack, pay and leave before the cashier can even blink an eye.

NATIONAL FRUIT FOR INDUCING MENSTRUATION:
Pineapple

NATIONAL APHRODISIAC DRINK :
Stout.. Many Malaysian men swear by it. But then after a few pints they start swearing at everything.

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (MEN):
Food Poisoning

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (WOMEN):
Menstrual Pain

NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY WOMEN WHEN REFUSING SEX:
Headache, kids not asleep, maid not asleep,mother-in-law around, early appointment, food not digested yet, aircond not cold enough, aircond too cold, nail polish not dry yet, forgot to take the pill, sleepy, stomach cramps, period, haven't remove make-up, haven't shower, no water supply, going to watch 'Desperate Housewives', depress, no mood, etc...

NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY MEN WHEN REFUSING SEX:
None. Malaysian men never refuse sex.

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIARRHOEA:
Cap Kaki Tiga. Down one bottle with warm water and you are all 'dried up'.

NATIONAL CURE FOR HEADACHES :
Panadol. The 'cure for all'. If it fails we have another secret weapon - Tiger Balm.

NATIONAL CURE FOR NAUSEA:
Moh Fah Kor.

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIZZINESS:
Minyak Angin Cap Kapak.

NATIONAL CAUSE OF DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES):
Happy Hours.

NATIONAL INSTANT CURE FOR DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES):
The sight of a police road block.

NATIONAL RICE COOKER:
NATIONAL Rice Cooker

NATIONAL RUBBISH DUMP:
Anywhere. As long as it is not your house.

NATIONAL MOST MIS-PRONOUNCED NAME:
Carrefour. Sometimes even pronounced as Carry 4!

NATIONAL ANSWER FOR 'WHERE ARE YOU’?
On the way.

NATIONAL OFFICIAL TIME FOR BEING LATE:
Ten minutes

NATIONAL REASON FOR PRICE INCREASE:
Petrol naik lagi kawan... semua barang pun kena naik ler... inclusive chicken meat?

NATIONAL REASON FOR PETROL INCREASE:
Still cheaper than other country la....

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR CAUSING TRAFFIC JAM:
There was an accident on the other side of the road. Of course must slow down and tengok-tengok, kaypoh-kaypoh lah!

NATIONAL REASON WHEN REJECTING INVITATION:
'Not feeling well la..'

NATIONAL REASON FOR COLLAPSED BUILDINGS & LEAKY PARLIAMENT ROOFS:
An act of God. Definitely nothing to with greased palms and poor quality control. Nope, none whatsoever.

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR IRRESPONSIBLE POLITICAL STATEMENTS:
None. We were misquoted.

NATIONAL MINISTERIAL REASON FOR INCREASING TOLL RATES :
‘Orang cakap mau naik mesti mau naik lah! Lu ingat ini jalan saya punya bapak punya kah?!’

NATIONAL REASON FOR HAVING BIG ONION DOMES ON TAXPAYER FUNDED PUBLIC BUILDINGS :
Dunno. It's not as if we're anywhere near the middle east.

NATIONAL REASON FOR SPURNING BAILOUT PACKAGES FROM FOREIGN CAR COMPANIES:
‘We're about to unveil another badly designed low budget car, which, coupled with our notorious customer service and corporate mismanagement, will see us bankrupt again within the next 5 years. And so we have absolutely no need for the Germans and their silly car-making and market-positioning knowhow, thank you very much.’

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR JUMPING QUEUE (TRAFFIC JAM OR WHAT EVER QUEUE):
Everybody doing what lah.......

NATIONAL EXCUSE NOT PAYING 'SAMAN' ACCORDING TO DUE DATE:
Relax ler... government will give discount one of these days

NATIONAL EXCUSE TO BRIBE (ANY CONDITION):
Give them minum kopi lar...This is Malaysia - What a True Malaysian Should Know

[Source: Malaysian Mirror]

Teoh Beng Hock's death: Is the truth finally revealing itself?

Sungai Buloh hospital head pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor today agreed that the first post-mortem on Teoh Beng Hock may not have been done in a prudent and competent manner.

He made his reassessment after 40 minutes of questioning, after having earlier defended the two pathologists who conducted the first post-mortem.

Shahidan (left) said that in any death-in-custody case, two procedures have to be observed:

1) Examination for evidence of pressure imposed on the neck, such as signs of strangulation

2) Dissection of limbs and certain muscles would need to be carried out to ascertain whether there were beatings

He agreed with Gobind Singh Deo,the counsel for Teoh's family, that if such procedures were not observed in post-mortems into custodial deaths, it could suggest a possible cover-up.

Shahidan confirmed he had been briefed about Teoh's case. He determined there are three likely causes of death, either:

- Teoh had died in custody; or

- he was thrown out of the window or

- he had jumped out of the window.

In this case, Shahidan said limb dissections were not done during the first post-mortem. However, he performed this during the second post-mortem.

"I also discovered some superficial marks on Teoh's neck," he said.

This finding was missing in the first post-mortem report, but Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand (right) spotted it.

Pathologists carrying out the first post-mortem did not do the dissection of the limbs and muscles as efforts were concentrated on the neck, chest and abdomen.

The Sungai Buloh pathologist was at a loss for words when Gobind pointed out the two pathologists who performed the first post-mortem did not spot the superficial bruise marks on the neck while Pornthip was able to do from a photo taken during the first post-mortem.

Gobind said that, if it were not for Pornthip, the marks would not have been noted.

Throughout the session, Shahidan defended the two pathologists. He described the first post-mortem report as the best possible, but later agreed that proper protocol had not been followed when it was performed.

He spent almost 40 minutes defending the first post-mortem findings but in the end agreed that his second post-mortem was more detailed.

Shahidan, during the last hearing, had listed Teoh's cause of death as due to a fall from a high place.

[Source: Malayskiakini]

Monday Humour

YOU'LL LOVE THESE IRISH JOKES

Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, 'Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!'

Miraculously, a parking place appeared.

Paddy looked up again and said, 'Never mind, I found one.'

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Father Murphy walks into a pub in Donegal, and asks the first man he meets, 'Do you want to go to heaven?'

The man said, 'I do, Father.'

The priest said, 'Then stand over there against the wall.'

Then the priest asked the second man, 'Do you want to go to heaven?'

'Certainly, Father,' the man replied.

'Then stand over there against the wall,' said the priest.

Then Father Murphy walked up to O'Toole and asked, 'Do you want to go to heaven?'

O'Toole said, 'No, I don't Father.'

The priest said, 'I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die you don't want to go to heaven?'

O'Toole said, 'Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group together to go right now.'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paddy was in New York

He was patiently waiting and watching the traffic cop on a busy street crossing. The cop stopped the flow of traffic and shouted, 'Okay, pedestrians.' Then he'd allow the traffic to pass.

He'd done this several times, and Paddy still stood on the sidewalk.

After the cop had shouted, 'Pedestrians!' for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said, 'Is it not about time ye let the Catholics across?'

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney.

'Did you see the paper?' asked Gallagher. 'They say I died!!'

'Yes, I saw it!' replied Finney. 'Where are ye callin' from?'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut . The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.

He says, 'Sir, have you been drinking?'

'Just water,' says the priest.

The trooper says, 'Then why do I smell wine?'

The priest looks at the bottle and says, 'Good Lord! He's done it again!'

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Patton staggered home very late after another evening with his drinking buddy, Paddy. He took off his shoes to avoid waking his wife, Kathleen.

He tiptoed as quietly as he could toward the stairs leading to their upstairs bedroom, but misjudged the bottom step. As he caught himself by grabbing the banister, his body swung around and he landed heavily on his rump. A whiskey bottle in each back pocket broke and made the landing especially painful.

Managing not to yell, Patton sprung up, pulled down his pants, and looked in the hall mirror to see that his butt cheeks were cut and bleeding. He managed to quietly find a full box of Band-Aids and began putting a Band-Aid as best he could on each place he saw blood.

He then hid the now almost empty Band-Aid box and shuffled and stumbled his way to bed.

In the morning, Patton woke up with searing pain in both his head and butt and Kathleen staring at him from across the room.

She said, 'You were drunk again last night weren't you?'

Patton said, 'Why you say such a mean thing?'

'Well,' Kathleen said, 'it could be the open front door, it could be the broken glass at the bottom of the stairs, it could be the drops of blood trailing through the house, it could be your bloodshot eyes, but mostly ..... it's all those Band-Aids stuck on the hall mirror.