Sunday, January 11, 2015

Catholic lawyers pray for profession, 'Allah’ case at Red Mass


Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Julian Leow (centre) today led the Red Mass to pray for, among others, a just decision on the 'Allah’ case review hearing on January 21. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, January 10, 2015.Catholic lawyers gathered at the Red Mass presided by Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Julian Leow today to pray for, among others, a just decision on the “Allah" case review hearing on January 21.The Red Mass, which is celebrated annually in the Catholic Church for lawyers and judges, offered prayers for those facing persecution by militants in Nigeria and the Middle East as well as the attack on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo where 12 people were shot dead.They also prayed for victims and families of three air travel disasters, namely the still missing Malaysia Airlines MH370, MH17 which was shot down in July and the recent Air Asia QZ8501 crash.Prayers were also offered for all Malaysians to be able to practise their religion peacefully.The Red Mass is named after the garments of the celebrant and the mass is traditionally offered to those involved in the administration of justice, praying for guidance from the Holy Spirit.In Malaysia, the Red Mass has been celebrated annually by the Catholic Lawyers’ Society (CLS) for the past 20 years, presided ov
Catholic lawyers taking part in the Red Mass today at the Church of the Holy Rosary in Brickfields. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, January 10, 2015er by archbishops, bishops and priests.Today, Leow was joined by Archbishop Emeritus Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam along with seven other priests, including Catholic weekly Herald editor Rev Father Andrew Lawrence, who entered the Church of the Holy Rosary in Brickfields with some 70 members of the legal profession in their black robes.The church’s review application is aimed at setting aside the ruling by the apex court and establish a new panel to re-hear the leave application following the church's failure to obtain leave to appeal the home minister's ban on the use of the word "Allah" in the Herald.CLS president Viola De Cruz in her address today said that Christians around the world were facing great challenges, adding that in Malaysia, they were still struggling for their right to practise their faith.She cited as example the recent seizure of the 31 hymn books from Catholic priest Father Cyril Mannayagam in Johor, which were meant for the Orang Asli parishioners in Bekok for Christmas.She said that it was only with the help of former CLS president Joy Appukuttan with the assistance of Tan Sri Joseph Kurup's political secretary Vincent Wong that the books were released in time for Christmas.When asked to comment on the upcoming “Allah" case after mass, Leow told The Malaysian Insider that he hoped for a just decision by the Federal Court."We pray for a just decision by the Federal Court and that peace and good sense will prevail." – January 10, 2015.
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Felda says RM4.5 million crop losses, damage to homes from floods – Bernama


Felda said its plantations suffered losses of up to RM3 million from the recent floods while damage to property of settlers has been estimated at some RM1.56 million."We have done a survey, about 200 houses need to be repaired and Felda will make a detailed assessment on what other aid the victims need," Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad said after handing over aid to flood victims in Kampung Telok Batu, Lenggong, today. He said 929 Felda households were affected by the floods, the brunt of which were in Kelantan, Terengganu and Perak.Isa said Felda's Flood Relief Fund had collected RM1.9 million since it was launched on January 2. – Bernama, January 11, 2015.
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Python swallows deer at UTM park


A four-metre-long python was found to have swallowed a deer at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) deer park in Skudai, Johor, last night.Harian Metro reported today that park staff only realised the deer's loss this morning and immediately informed the manager, Mohd Sum.Mohd Sum then alerted the Civil Defence Department.Civil Defence Department operation head Noor Mohd Sufian confirmed receiving a report at 9am."Our team arrived at the location at 9.15am and managed to capture the python about 10 minutes later," he said.UTM Deer Park is home to 33 deers, scientifically known as "axis-axis".The deers roam freely around the area situated near the UTM campus' main entrance. – January 11, 2015.
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Significant drop in number of flood evacuees – Bernama


A call for witnesses released by the Paris Prefecture de Police January 9, 2015 shows the photos of Hayat Boumeddiene (left) and Amedy Coulibaly. – Reuters pic, January 10, 2015.Amedy Coulibaly, the gunman who was shot dead after taking hostages at a Paris kosher grocery store, once holidayed in Malaysia with his wife, CNN reported today.Hayat Boumeddiene is now on the run and has become France's most wanted woman.Coulibaly is one of three terrorists who brought France to a halt in 48 hours of bloodshed.CNN reported that 26-year-old Boumeddiene was on the run and considered armed and dangerous.Coulibaly died in a hail of bullets along with four hostages in the storming of the Jewish supermarket by French security forces.According to judicial documents, a police search of Coulibaly's residence in 2010 turned up a crossbow, 240 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, films and photos of him during a trip to Malaysia, as well as letters seeking false official documents.However, Boumeddiene eluded capture during the confusion as the hostages were running away, CNN reported.The Daily Mail reported that Coulibaly and Boumedienne had married in a religious ceremony, not in a civil ceremony – the only marriage legally accepted in France.While Coulibaly had a well-documented track record, Boumeddiene remains a shadowy figure.However, the one-time cashier was reportedly radicalised after meeting Coulibaly.Boumedienne is of Algerian background and had altered her surname to “make it sound more French", the Daily Mail quoted an investigating source as saying.She told police who had interviewed her as part of their inquiries into Coulibaly’s murky dealings with Islamic extremists that in 2009, she had walked away from a low-paid job as a cashier in Paris.After marrying Coulibay, Boumedienne “devoted herself" to him, the Daily Mail reported.Interrogated by police in 2010, Boumeddiene said she was inspired by her husband and the radicals she lived with to “read a lot of books on religion"."Because of this, I came to ask questions on religion," Boumedienne reportedly told police."When I saw the massacre of the innocents in Palestine, in Iraq, in Chechnya, in Afghanistan or anywhere the Americans sent their bombers, all that… well, who are the terrorists?"She added that when Americans killed innocents, it was the right of men to defend their women and children.Always cool and composed, Boumeddiene had never wavered under police cross-examination.To neighbours, the pair were quiet, respectful and normal and had even gone on a holiday to Malaysia together, according to the Daily Mail. – January 10, 2015.
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Malaysia trying to get fourth vessel to search for flight MH370 – Bernama


Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai says Malaysia says there is a need to deploy more equipment in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 11, 2015.Malaysia is still in the midst of discussions with Australia and China to engage a fourth vessel, "Fugro Supporter", to assist in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said there was a need to deploy more equipments due to difficulties faced by the search mission in the southern Indian Ocean.He said there were currently three vessels involved in the operation, namely "Go Phoenix", "Fugro Discovery" and "Fugro Equator"."We are engaging in efforts to add another vessel, 'Fugro Supporter'. When the time is right, we will announce," he told reporters after launching the Negri Sembilan MCA's Cadres Training Camp in Genting Highlands today.The search operation for MH370 is now into its 11th month since it went missing on March 8, last year.The flight carrying 227 passengers, including two infants and 12 crew, disappeared from the radar about an hour after taking off from the KL International Airport to Beijing. – Bernama, January 11, 2015.
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Pemuda PAS: Peguam Paulsen hina Muslim

Pemuda PAS: Peguam Paulsen hina Muslim


Timbalan Ketua Pemuda PAS Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi menyifatkan aktivis peguam Eric Paulsen mungkin menghina umat Islam jika tweet kontroversinya merujuk kepada khutbah Jumaat.

“Apakah maksud beliau apabila menyatakan JAKIM (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia) promoting extremism every friday (Jakim promosi ekstrimisme tiap Jumaat)?” soal anak kepada Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang itu.

“Sekiranya beliau (Paulsen) memaksudkan khutbah Jumaat, ini satu tindakan penghinaan terhadap umat islam keseluruhannya. ”

Menulis di Facebook pagi tadi, Khalid mendesak tweet itu dipadamkan dan Khalid pula digesa memohon maaf kepada seluruh umat Islam “yang terguris dengan penghinaan ini”.

Semakan Malaysiakini mendapati tweet kontroversi itu telah tiada. Paulsen ketika dihubungi mengesahkan memadamnya.

Tweet kontroversi Paulsen pada Jumaat lalu berbunyi:

“Jakim is promoting extremism every Friday. Goverment needs to adress that if serius about extremism in Malaysia."

(Jakim mempromosi ekstremisme setiap Jumaat. Kerajaan perlu menanganinya jika serius mengenai ekstremisme di Malaysia.)

Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar semalam berkata, kenyataan Paulsen itu antara yang wajar disiasat bawah Akta Hasutan 1948.

Utusan: Pemikiran Paulsen 'ekstrem'

Sementara itu, Mingguan Malaysia hari ini turut mengkritik kenyataan Paulsen yang dikatakan “terlalu ekstrem kerana datangnya dari pemikiran yang ekstremisme”.

“Beliau sudah melampau dan salah.

"Buatlah kajian, khutbah Jumaat yang disediakan oleh Jakim selama ini sentiasa menyeru umat Islam kepada kesederhanaan, perpaduan, saling menghormati sesama agama dan kaum serta nilai-nilai murni sejagat biarpun kerap menyentuh soal menjaga kesucian Islam dan akidah.

“Bagi beberapa sarjana Islam tempatan, khutbah Jakim dilihat agak 'lembut' dan adakalanya tidak reflektif kepada tekanan yang dihadapi oleh umat Islam,” tulis Awang Selamat.
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Mayat 'berkafan' ditemui dalam semak

Mayat 'berkafan' ditemui dalam semak

Mayat seorang lelaki yang dibalut dengan kain selimut seperti dikafan, ditemui dalam semak di tepi jalan berhampiran bulatan kawasan Perindustrian Science Park Bukit Tengah, di Bukit Mertajam semalam.
Jurucakap polis berkata mayat lelaki dipercayai warga asing berusia lingkungan 30-an itu, ditemui 2 petang ini oleh seorang lelaki yang melalui kawasan berkenaan sebelum memaklumkan kepada polis.
"Lelaki itu melalui kawasan berkenaan sebelum terbau benda busuk, dia bertindak mencari di sekitar semak di tepi jalan tersebut sebelum ternampak bungkusan kain selimut bercorak bunga warna merah.
"Dia mendekati bungkusan seperti kafan itu dan ternampak mayat di dalam kain selimut tersebut dan terus menghubungi polis memaklumkan kejadian berkenaan," katanya kepada pemberita semalam.
Beliau berkata siasatan awal polis percaya mayat itu mati di tempat lain sebelum dibuang di kawasan berkenaan sejak beberapa hari lepas berdasarkan keadaan mayat.
"Pemeriksaan forensik mendapati mayat lelaki itu tiada tanda suntikan BCG di lengannya dan polis juga tidak menemui sebarang kecederaan pada badan mangsa," katanya.
Ketua Polis Daerah Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) ACP Rusli Mohd Noor ketika dihubungi mengesahkan penemuan mayat berkenaan dan mayat itu telah dihantar ke Hospital Seberang Jaya untuk dibedah siasat.
"Siasatan lanjut masih dijalankan dan polis minta kerjasama orang ramai yang mempunyai maklumat berhubung kejadian itu agar menghubungi mana-mana balai polis berdekatan bagi membantu siasatan," katanya.
- Bernama
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In Rajapakse’s defeat, some lessons for Malaysian politicians


Sri Lankan popular strongman Mahinda Rajapakse lost the presidency despite intimidating his opponents and the press. – Reuters pic, January 11, 2015.Sri Lankan popular strongman Mahinda Rajapakse surprisingly lost the country's presidential elections two days ago while pursuing a third term in office – much to the joy of the South Indian island nation.He lost with 47.6% of the vote, while his opponent, former health minister and ally Maithripala Sirisena took 51.3% of the vote.If those numbers are familiar, it is because those are nearly the same numbers as the split between the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the 2013 general election in Malaysia.More importantly, the fall of Rajapakse in Sri Lanka offers a lesson for Malaysia: that the very powerful and those who intimidate their opponents and the press, apart from advocating censorship – ultimately lose.Rajapakse was Sri Lanka's hero who ended the 26-year civil war with the minority Tamil population in 2009 and after two terms in office with three brothers also holding key posts in the government – decided to change the law allowing unlimited terms as president.Using the economy as a key driver in the Indian Ocean island, his government imposed censorship and hounded both opposition politicians and journalists to prevent dissent to his rule.Rajapakse, who first came to power in 2005, was last elected in 2010 when he defeated his former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who was later jailed on charges of implicating the government in war crimes.According to the BBC, his critics said he became increasingly authoritarian and failed to tackle the legacy of Sri Lanka's civil war, which left the Tamil areas in the north impoverished and embittered. While the circumstance with Malaysia is different, his brand of politics is all too similar to Malaysians.The licensed mass media in Malaysia paint a picture of a popular government but in cyberspace, dissent and criticism hog online media and social media sites that has now led Putrajaya to bring back a retired civil servant to head its communications regulatory agency.In public universities, academics and students are routinely reminded not to get involved in political activities while the colonial-era Sedition Act is now the preferred law to silence dissent.This from a government that has lost further ground in the 2013 elections from the 2008 elections where PR first denied BN its traditional two-thirds parliamentary super-majority.The BN government had also used the economy as a bait, planning economic and government transformation programmes together with direct cash aid but only gained 47% of the popular vote in 2013.Perhaps BN can learn from what contributed to Rajapakse's defeat and if it does not, it might just share the former Sri Lankan president's fate in the next general election. – January 11, 2015.
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Aksi gadis tudung peluk artis K-pop undang cemuhan

Aksi gadis tudung peluk artis K-pop undang cemuhan


Aksi gadis bertudung yang berpelukan dengan artis lelaki K-pop Korea di atas pentas menimbulkan cemuhan masyarakat.
Malah, Menteri Belia dan Sukan Khairy Jamaluddin turut tampil menyindir perbuatan itu, walaupun tanpa menyebut secara langsung acara dirujuk itu.

“Banyak dikatakan tentang K-pop. Harap gadis-gadis Malaysia kembali kepada lelakii tinggi, gelap dan 'hensem' (tampan).
“Bukan putih pucat, kurus dan cantik. Itu bukan lelaki sejati,” tulisnya di Twitter.
Beliau merujuk sebuah sebuah yang disebar meluas di Internet memaparkan aksi mesra dalam pertemuan kumpulan B1A4 dengan peminat di pusat hiburan KL Live di ibu negara malam tadi.

Video 3.22 minit itu antaranya menunjukkan adegan gadis bertudung naik ke pentas sebelum berpelukan dan ada yang dicium oleh artis itu, sambil disambut sorakan penonton.
Walaupun kelihatan ada yang malu-malu, berdasarkan video itu, mereka kelihatan rela dirangkul penyanyi yang tampil dengan sut kasual dan bertali leher gelap itu.
B1A4 merupakan sebuah kumpulan muzik dari Korea Selatan bawah naungan syarikat WM Entertainment.
Kumpulan lima anggota itu melibatkan Jung Jin Young, Shin Dong Woo, Lee Jung Hwan, Cha Seon Woo dan Gong Chan Sik.

Penampilan sulung B1A4 dibuat pada tahun 2011 dengan single berjudul "OK"
Perjumpaan bersama peminatnya malam tadi meletakkan harga tiket daripada RM199 hingga RM799.
Sementara itu, Twitter turut dibanjiri dengan hashtag #menentangkejahatankpop.
Pengguna maya bagaimanapun tidak keseluruhannya menyalahkan artis K-pop itu kerana mereka mungkin tidak memahami ajaran Islam yang sebagai agama rasmi dan majoriti penduduk negara ini.
Bagaimanapun lebih banyak kecaman dihamburkan kepada gadis-gadis terlibat.
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Significant drop in number of flood evacuees – Bernama


A call for witnesses released by the Paris Prefecture de Police January 9, 2015 shows the photos of Hayat Boumeddiene (left) and Amedy Coulibaly. – Reuters pic, January 10, 2015.Amedy Coulibaly, the gunman who was shot dead after taking hostages at a Paris kosher grocery store, once holidayed in Malaysia with his wife, CNN reported today.Hayat Boumeddiene is now on the run and has become France's most wanted woman.Coulibaly is one of three terrorists who brought France to a halt in 48 hours of bloodshed.CNN reported that 26-year-old Boumeddiene was on the run and considered armed and dangerous.Coulibaly died in a hail of bullets along with four hostages in the storming of the Jewish supermarket by French security forces.According to judicial documents, a police search of Coulibaly's residence in 2010 turned up a crossbow, 240 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, films and photos of him during a trip to Malaysia, as well as letters seeking false official documents.However, Boumeddiene eluded capture during the confusion as the hostages were running away, CNN reported.The Daily Mail reported that Coulibaly and Boumedienne had married in a religious ceremony, not in a civil ceremony – the only marriage legally accepted in France.While Coulibaly had a well-documented track record, Boumeddiene remains a shadowy figure.However, the one-time cashier was reportedly radicalised after meeting Coulibaly.Boumedienne is of Algerian background and had altered her surname to “make it sound more French", the Daily Mail quoted an investigating source as saying.She told police who had interviewed her as part of their inquiries into Coulibaly’s murky dealings with Islamic extremists that in 2009, she had walked away from a low-paid job as a cashier in Paris.After marrying Coulibay, Boumedienne “devoted herself" to him, the Daily Mail reported.Interrogated by police in 2010, Boumeddiene said she was inspired by her husband and the radicals she lived with to “read a lot of books on religion"."Because of this, I came to ask questions on religion," Boumedienne reportedly told police."When I saw the massacre of the innocents in Palestine, in Iraq, in Chechnya, in Afghanistan or anywhere the Americans sent their bombers, all that… well, who are the terrorists?"She added that when Americans killed innocents, it was the right of men to defend their women and children.Always cool and composed, Boumeddiene had never wavered under police cross-examination.To neighbours, the pair were quiet, respectful and normal and had even gone on a holiday to Malaysia together, according to the Daily Mail. – January 10, 2015.
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Pemain kebangsaan bukan jaminan diturunkan

Pemain kebangsaan bukan jaminan diturunkan


Dua pemain Harimau Malaya Abdul Manaf Mamat dan Muhammad Zubir Mohd Azmi mengakui status sebagai pemain kebangsaan bukan jaminan untuk diturunkan dalam kesebelasan utama pasukan Terengganu bagi menghadapi Liga Malaysia musim ini.
Justeru, kedua-dua pemain berkenaan yang memperkuatkan cabaran Harimau Malaya pada saingan Piala AFF Suzuki penghujung tahun lepas, bertekad menampilkan aksi mantap agar dapat memikat jurulatih Abdul Rahman Ibrahim untuk diserapkan dalam kesebelasan utama Terengganu.
Sebagai penyerang, Abdul Manaf, 28, berkata beliau terpaksa bersaing dengan dua penyerang import iaitu Paulo Rangel dari Brazil serta pemain kelahiran Lubnan, Hassan Chaito.
Abdul Manaf berkata beliau akan berusaha mempamerkan prestasi terbaik untuk menempatkan diri dalam kesebelasan utama dan selebihnya bergantung kepada perancangan Abdul Rahman sama ada mahu menggunakan khidmatnya atau tidak.
"Pasukan Terengganu kini berada di landasan terbaik walaupun saya baru beberapa hari menyertai pasukan ini (selepas mewakili Harimau Malaya pada Piala AFF Suzuki).
"Saya berharap pada musim ini pasukan Terengganu berada pada kedudukan lebih baik berbanding musim lepas," katanya ketika ditemui Bernama di Kuala Terengganu.
Abdul Manaf turut meletakkan sasaran peribadi musim ini untuk menjaringkan lebih banyak gol bagi membantu Terengganu memperbaiki kedudukan dalam Liga Super.
"Bagaimanapun, saya perlu lebih banyak menjalani latihan dan berharap dalam tempoh satu dua minggu lagi tahap kecergasan saya akan kembali seperti biasa,"

Piala AFF Suzuki lepas.
"Terserah kepada jurulatih (untuk memilih pemain). Sebagai pemain, kita akan cuba sebaik mungkin untuk meyakinkan mereka. Saya lihat ramai pemain baharu pasukan Terengganu boleh bermain di posisi saya sekarang (pertahanan kiri) termasuk Khairul (Rosmadi)," katanya.
Terengganu akan memulakan saingan Liga Super 2015 berdepan Selangor di Kuala Terengganu pada 7 Feb.
- Bernama
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'Sah, MH17 ditembak jatuh tentera Rusia'

'Sah, MH17 ditembak jatuh tentera Rusia'


Satu organisasi kewartawanan penyiasatan beribu pejabat di Jerman membuat kesimpulan bahawa pesawat Malaysia Airlines MH17 jatuh ditembak oleh Briged Pertahanan Udara ke-53 Rusia menggunakan peluru berpandu BUK yang dilancarkan dari darat.
Correct!v dalam laporan yang dikeluarkan semalam berkata briged yang bertanggungjawab melindungi unit kereta kebal Rusia itu beroperasi di wilayah Ukraine pertengahan Julai lalu tanpa mempamerkan jata negara Russia.

Menurut Correct!v, penyiasat Bellingcat membuat kesimpulan bahawa gambar sebuah pelancar roket BUK dengan nombor pengenalan 3*2 dirakam sewaktu berlepas bersama satu konvoi meninggalkan kawasan barat kota Kursk dan menuju ke sempadan Ukraine.
Pada 17 Julai 2014, pelancar yang sama tetapi dengan nombor pengenalannya yang dipadamkan, dirakam oleh jurugambar majalah Paris Match di timur Ukraine.
Ivan Krasnoproshin, seorang sarjan dengan briged ke-53 itu didapati memuatkan beberapa gambar unitnya ke laman vkontakte.com – satu laman sosial seperti Facebook yang popular di Rusia.

Gambar tersebut antara lainnya menunjukkan dokumen penamatan tugasnya daripada angkatan tentera Russia dalam pertengahan Jun.
Terdapat laporan bahawa ramai tentera dikehendaki menandatangani surat penamatan tugas sebelum dihantar untuk berperang di Ukraine.
"Tidak syak lagi bahawa Briged Pertahanan Udara ke-53 Russia berada di Snizhne di timur Ukraine pada petang yang malang itu," lapor Correct!v.
Memetik laporan pakar tempur udara, Correct!v berkata hanya pakar sahaja yang boleh mengendalikan peralatan itu.
[Baca berita asal]
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No basis to claim judicial appointment body acts arbitrarily, says top judge


The tail of AirAsia QZ8501 passenger plane is seen on the deck of the Indonesian Search and Rescue ship Crest Onyx after it was lifted from the sea bed, south of Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan. – Reuters pic, January 11, 2015.Indonesian search teams believe they have found the fuselage of an AirAsia airliner that crashed in the Java Sea two weeks ago, and divers hope calmer waters tomorrow will allow them to retrieve the black box flight recorders.
Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501 lost contact with air traffic control in bad weather on December 28, less than halfway into a two-hour flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. None of the 162 people on the aircraft survived.Searchers have also been hearing pings, believed to be from the aircraft's two black boxes near where the tail of the Airbus A320-200 aircraft tail was raised yesterday.Supriyadi, operations coordinator for the National Search and Rescue Agency, said today a sonar scan had revealed an object measuring 10m by 4m by 2.5m on the sea floor."They suspect it is the body of the plane. There is a big possibility that the black box is near the body of the plane," Supriyadi told Reuters in the town of Pangkalan Bun, the base for the search effort on Borneo."If it is the body of the plane then we will first evacuate the victims. Secondly we will search for the black box."Forty-eight bodies have been found in the Java Sea off Borneo and searchers are still hunting for the plane's fuselage, which could contain more bodies.Strong winds, currents and high waves have been hampering efforts to reach other large pieces of suspected wreckage detected by sonar on the sea floor.Three vessels involved in the search have detected pings about 4km from where the plane's tail was raised yesterday, in water about 30 metres deep."Three ships have (recorded) the pings so we can confirm the coordinates of the location of the black box," Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee investigator Santoso Sayogo told Reuters.If weather conditions are conducive, "hopefully they will recover the black box tomorrow morning," Santoso said. "The coordinates show the bottom of the sea (in that location) is sand so the divers should easily be able to see it."If and when the recorders are found and taken to the capital, Jakarta, for analysis, it could take up to two weeks to download data, investigators said, although the information could be accessed in as little as two days if the devices are not badly damaged.Yesterday, teams of divers in rubber dinghies battled the swell to attach inflatable balloons to the tail section, which was later hauled onto a rescue vessel and towed to Kumai Bay, not far from Pangkalan Bun, which has served as the base port for search and rescue vessels.The aircraft carries cockpit voice and flight data recorders – or black boxes – near its tail but once the wreckage was visible, it quickly became apparent that the flight recorders were still underwater.While the cause of the crash is not known, the national weather bureau has said seasonal storms were likely to be a factor.President Jokowi, who took office in late October, said the AirAsia crash exposed widespread problems in the management of air transportation in Indonesia.Separately, a DHC-6 Twin Otter operated by Indonesia's Trigana Air crashed on landing at Enarotali Airport in Paniai, Papua today.Strong winds caused the aircraft to roll over, domestic news website Detik.com reported, with no injuries to the three crew members on board. The plane was not carrying any passengers. – Reuters, January 11, 2015.
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Prasarana to test its new 6-car LRT trains in a week – Bernama


The new 6-car Light Rail Vehicles at the LRT Ampang depot in Kuala Lumpur today. – Pic courtesy of Prasarana, January 10, 2015.The first of Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (Prasarana)'s new 6-car Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) has arrived at Rapid KL LRT Depot in Ampang and is ready to commence testing in a week.The first of a fleet of 50 new sets travelled more than three weeks by sea, spent three days at West Port in Port Klang and then a challenging six-hour ride to the city.The LRVs, procured from train manufacturer, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co (CSR), will replace the current six-car trains, which has been servicing the LRT Ampang Line since 1996."With the arrival of the first set, we can now start our testing and commissioning works, which is vital in preparation for the full replacement of the trains, which will be done in stages within two years. "As the first train, we would be conducting the type and integration tests apart from the routine test for all the new trains."These data would be vital for our suppliers and would set pace for the exercise," Prasarana group director for Project Development Datuk Zohari Sulaiman said in a statement.He said after unloading the train set, the team would work to reassemble the six-car set and conduct an open case inspection before commencing the tests."We are looking at a period of about one week before we conduct the necessary tests," he said, adding that the next train set was scheduled to be delivered by the middle of next month.With an investment of about RM1 billion, the purchase of the 50 new trains is one of the many initiatives undertaken by Prasarana in elevating further the standard of public transport services in Klang Valley.While 30 sets are purchased to replace the existing fleet of trains at the LRT Ampang Line, the remaining 20 LRVs are procured under the LRT Line Extension Project (LEP)."We are hoping to have six new sets of six-car LRVs by the time we commence the first phase of the Ampang LRT Line Extension Project at the end of October."The first phase will involve the opening of four new stations – Awan Besar, Muhibbah, Alam Sutera and Kinrara BK5," he said.The LRT Ampang Line currently serves some 200,000 passengers per day.Zohari said under its arrangement with the manufacturer, the first 35 LRVs would be delivered as completely built-up units from China.The last 15 would be locally assembled at the CSR Zhuzhou plant in Batu Gajah to meet the local content requirement.The new LRV sets, which meet the latest international safety standards, are equipped with universal access features including six compartments for wheelchairs.It also allows commuters to walk from one end of the train to another as the new Ampang LRV now comes with a walkthrough gangway.Zohari said the user-friendly coach design was developed based on passengers’ feedback, adding that several new features have been incorporated which are not found in the first-generation Ampang Line trains."These include the end-destination display in the coaches, with an integrated dynamic route map," he said, adding that the new LRV has a lifespan of 30 years and must be refurbished once it reached half its service life.In addition to space for disabled passengers that is not found in the existing trains, the LRVs are equipped with CCTV cameras as additional safety measures. – Bernama, January 10, 2015.
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Charlie Hebdo & kebenaran yang mana?

Charlie Hebdo & kebenaran yang mana?


Kita dikejutkan dengan peristiwa Charlie Hebdo. Kita terkejut (ataupun buat-buat terkejut), kerana tidak menyangka atas nama kebenaran, darah boleh ditumpahkan sewenang-wenangnnya.
Peristiwa keganasan terhadap Charlie Hebdo ini berlaku di Paris.
Dan, Perancis memang terkenal sebagai negara yang melaungkan “kebebasan, kesetaraan dan kebersamaan.”
Ini adalah negara sekular, yang dalam kebanyakan keadaan, selalu dianggap sebagai negara sekular yang ekstrim.
Bagi pengganas, agamanya adalah kebenarannya.
Bagaimanapun, bagi Perancis dan kenegaraannya pula, kebenarannya adalah apa termaktub dalam kedaulatannya (perlembagaan dan undang-undangnya).
Justeru, terdapat pertembungan fikrah antara individu yang mahu bertindak dengan tangan sendiri bagi merealisasikan kebenarannya dengan negara yang tidak membenarkan mana-mana warganya melanggar kebenaran yang terdapat dalam perlembagaan dan perundangannya.
Kemelut ini, saya ibaratkan sebagai ketegangan ekoran dari pemilikan kebenaran.
Memang, dewasa ini terdapat sebahagian individu atau kelompok, malah negara sekalipun, masih lagi menganggap bahawa kebenaran adalah soal hidup mati.
Kebenaran adalah perkara segala-galanya. Ini sebuah perspektif yang berbahaya kepada masa depan masyarakat majmuk dan wajar dibedah siasat habis-habisan.
Langkah pertamanya, kita perlulah memikirkan kembali tentang peranan yang sesuai antara agama dan negara ini, lebih-lebih lagi dalam kaitannya dengan pemilikan kebenaran.
Lumrahnya, agama, atau orang beragama, atau lebih tepat lagi bagi agamawan, selalu dipandang sebagai puncak kebenaran.
Bagi kalangan ini, kebenaran agama tidak ada tapi-tapi lagi dan sama sekali tidak boleh menjadi barang dagangan.
Menyeragamkan fikiran
Hatta, pada satu tahap, bagi mereka ini, negara pun berhak ditundukkan sesuai dengan laras kebenaran agama. Justeru, seluruh alat dan perkakas negara mestilah dikiblatkan kepada agama “rasmi”.
Di sisi yang berseberangan pula, negara terutamanya negara sekular menjadikan kebenarannya dipaksikan kepada kedaulatan perlembagaan dan perundangan sekularnya.
Di sini, sekularisme bukanlah soal tawar-menawar. Ia harga mati bagi sebuah negara sekular. Dan, sekularisme, sebagai ideologi negara, dianggap sebagai pusat kebenaran bagi semua warga.
Seandainya ada yang enggan mematuhi kebenaran ini, maka negara tersebut layak menjatuhkan hukuman, termasuklah – setelah proses mahkamah– hukuman bunuh sekalipun.
Sebab itu, dalam bahasa yang lain, negara sebenarnya satu-satunya institusi yang mempunyai lesen untuk membunuh warganya sendiri.
Maka, agama dan negara, secara zaman-berzaman saling meneriakkan kebenaran. Keduanya mahu merebut kebenaran sebagai medium mereka untuk menyeragamkan fikiran dan tindakan masyarakat.
Memang, adalah gila untuk kita bayangkan betapa masih ada lagi yang mahu menyeragamkan fikiran dan tindakan manusia yang lain! Tapi peristiwa Charlie Hebdo mengesahkan bahawa kegilaan ini adalah reliti hari ini.
Sudahnya, bagi yang tidak tega dengan nilai-nilai kebenaran yang ingin dipaksakan oleh agama atau negara, maka jawapannya: Ia boleh jadi dibunuh atau dihukum bunuh.
Dan, kematian itu boleh hadir dari tangan individu tertentu yang ekstrim mahupun dari tangan negara tertentu yang ekstrim (mari ingat kembali alasan Bush tatkala mahu menyerang Iraq).
Batas agama adalah iman
Di sini, ada persoalan untuk kita sama-sama renungkan baik-baik: Apakah sememangnya dalam dunia ini hanya terdapat dua kebenaran sahaja?
Kalau tidak kebenaran agama, maka apakah itu mestilah kebenaran negara? Sejujurnya, saya tidak melihat citra kebenaran sebegini rupa.
Malah, saya melihat, pertarungan kebenaran-kebenaran inilah yang pada akhirnya mendorong tercetusnya peristiwa seperti Charlie Hebdo. Dan, akhirnya kita saksikan berlakunya Islamophobia dan diskriminasi terhadap Muslim yang merebak ke banyak negara Barat.
Shahdan, jika kita tidak menerima bahawa agama dan negara bukanlah daerah bagi kebenaran, maka apakah kita boleh lagi hidup dengan bernafaskan kebenaran? Benar, boleh saja.
Setidaknya, kita masih lagi boleh memikirkan bahawa masih terdapat wilayah yang kebenaran dapat diterapkan serasi dengan nilai kefungsiannya.
Sama ada agama atau negara, masing-masing tidaklah berhak untuk mendakwa-dakwi atas nama kebenaran. Sebaliknya, keduanya perlu dibataskan wilayah kebenarannya.
Batas agama adalah iman. Sekiranya iman tersebut cuba dinyatakan sebagai kebenaran buat semua dan mahu dipaksakan perlaksanaannya buat semua, maka itu bukanlah lagi dalam lingkungan keimanan. Sebab, itu sudah cuba melampaui wilayah kenegaraan.
Wilayah kenegaraan pula adalah ruang untuk perlaksanaan perintah untuk semua warga. Sebagai sebuah negara berdaulat, negara berhak melaksanakan perintah umum yang didasarkan kepada hubungannya dengan perlembagaan dan perundangan.
Tetapi, adakah perlembagaan dan perundangan ini adalah nilai bagi kebenaran? Tidak juga.
Kerana itu, belum tentu mereka yang bersalah di sisi perundangan negara adalah mereka yang turut sama bersalah di sisi tuhan.
Jadi, dengan keadaan ini, sama ada agama mahupun negara, masing-masing tidak lagi mempunyai wibawa untuk berbicara atas nama kebenaran.
Kesal tak kunjung padam
Lalu, langkah terakhir, di mana tempatnya bagi kebenaran?
Dan, apakah tema kebenaran masih lagi tersisa dalam masyarakat yang kompleks ketika ini? Pada hemat saya, kebenaran masih ada tempatnya. Bukan bertempat pada agama atau negara.
Tetapi, bertempat pada pengetahuan (sains).
Dengan memberikan pengetahuan hak memiliki kebenaran, kita bukan sahaja boleh mengurangkan ketegangan antara agama dan negara, malahan kita juga boleh mengurangkan unsur kekerasan dan keganasan atas nama kebenaran.
Sebabnya, pengetahuan tidak boleh dibunuh. Ia, sebaliknya, hanya boleh disanggah dengan pengetahuan yang lain.
Jadi, dengan lingkaran terbatas seperti ini, kebenaran yang terdapat dalam pengetahuan akan makin subur dan seterusnya dapat merancakkan lagi semangat untuk mencari dan menyebar kebenaran menerusi jalan pengetahuan juga.
Mudah kata, dari lakaran ini, kita menjadikan masyarakat tidak lagi diintegrasikan atas nama kebenaran ideologi tertentu (sebut saja sama ada Islamisme ataupun liberalisme). Tetapi, menariknya, masyarakat kita masih boleh terus diintergrasikan atas nama penerokaan kebenaran pengetahuan.
Pastinya, ada harga yang perlu dibayar lantaran kita menurunkan martabat kebenaran dari agama dan negara kepada hak khusus yang dimiliki oleh bidang pengetahuan sahaja. Harga yang paling mahal yang perlu kita bayar ialah terpisahnya hubungan antara agama dengan amal jamai (mass action), dan terlerainya hubungan antara negara dengan akal jamai (public reasoning).
Tetapi, bagi saya, inilah bayaran yang berpatutan demi untuk melihat masyarakat moden kita berfungsi dengan lebih “baik”.
“Baik” bukanlah bermaksud inilah satu-satunya jalan.
Tetapi, “baik” di sini lebih bersifat kefungsian (yang ada nilai kebolehgunaan) yang dapat membantu kepada kerukunan masyarakat.
Sudah tentu, daripada sejarah, kita lazimnya bongkak untuk membayar harga penukaran autoriti kebenaran –dari agama/negara kepada pengetahuan– ini sekarang.
Tetapi, daripada sejarah juga, kelak muka jual mahal kita tersebut dileburkan oleh rasa kesal yang tak kunjung padam.
DIAN ANAIS adalah seorang suri rumah sepenuh masa. Beliau boleh dihubungi melalui [email protected]
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ADUN BN mahu bina 'tugu balak' Kelantan

ADUN BN mahu bina 'tugu balak' Kelantan


Seorang Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) di Kelantan dilapor berkira-kira menjadikan tunggul balak empat tan yang dihanyutkan banjir di negeri itu sebagai “tugu peringatan”.
Perkara itu dilaporkan Utusan Malaysia hari ini, yang dilihat sindiran terhadap kepimpinan PAS negeri itu, yang aktiviti pembalakannya dikatanya antara faktor berlaku banjir besar.

Awang Selamat, suara rasmi Utusan, antaranya menulis bahawa Datuk Md Alwi Che Ahmad membawa pulang tunggul balak yang terdampar di depan balai polis simpang pekan Lakloh, Kuala Krai baru-baru ini.
“Tunggul balak itu adalah antara banyak batang balak yang dibawa arus banjir, dipercayai akibat hakisan di kawasan pembalakan dan penerokaan tanah secara berleluasa di Kelantan.
“Selepas keadaan banjir pulih, pada 2 Januari lalu,” ADUN Kok Lanas itu dilaporkan sebagai berkata.
Awang Selamat juga menulis, pihak bertanggungjawab ke atas penggondolan hutan secara berleluasa bernasib baik kerana tiada suruhan siasatan diraja bagi meneliti dakwaan itu.
Beliau membandingkannya dengan perundangan Barat yang cepat membawa pesalah ke mahkamah dalam isu sebegitu.
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DRB-Hicom, Albukhary Foundation donate RM5 million to flood victims – Bernama


DRB-Hicom group managing director Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil handing over the RM5 million cheque to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The money is for flood victims in the east coast. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Mukhriz Hazim, January 11, 2015.DRB-Hicom Berhad (DRB-Hicom) and AlBukhary Foundation today handed over a RM5 million donation to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for flood victims in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.The cheque was presented by DRB Hicom group managing director Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil and witnessed by the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Charity Golf (TSMCG) president, Tan Sri Mohd Effendi Norwawi.Khamil said the donation was for post-flood aid to enable flood victims to rebuild their lives after the severe flooding."We also donated 20,000 units of basic school equipment such as uniform, shoes, bags and stationery, stove, cooking gas and groceries to the affected families," he said today.Earlier, Khamil and DRB-Hicom chief operating officer Datuk Mohamed Razeek Md Hussain signed a two-year sponsorship agreement between the company and TSMCG Foundation. – Bernama, January 11, 2015.
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In Rajapakse’s defeat, some lessons for Malaysian politicians


Sri Lankan popular strongman Mahinda Rajapakse lost the presidency despite intimidating his opponents and the press. – Reuters pic, January 11, 2015.Sri Lankan popular strongman Mahinda Rajapakse surprisingly lost the country's presidential elections two days ago while pursuing a third term in office – much to the joy of the South Indian island nation.He lost with 47.6% of the vote, while his opponent, former health minister and ally Maithripala Sirisena took 51.3% of the vote.If those numbers are familiar, it is because those are nearly the same numbers as the split between the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the 2013 general election in Malaysia.More importantly, the fall of Rajapakse in Sri Lanka offers a lesson for Malaysia: that the very powerful and those who intimidate their opponents and the press, apart from advocating censorship – ultimately lose.Rajapakse was Sri Lanka's hero who ended the 26-year civil war with the minority Tamil population in 2009 and after two terms in office with three brothers also holding key posts in the government – decided to change the law allowing unlimited terms as president.Using the economy as a key driver in the Indian Ocean island, his government imposed censorship and hounded both opposition politicians and journalists to prevent dissent to his rule.Rajapakse, who first came to power in 2005, was last elected in 2010 when he defeated his former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who was later jailed on charges of implicating the government in war crimes.According to the BBC, his critics said he became increasingly authoritarian and failed to tackle the legacy of Sri Lanka's civil war, which left the Tamil areas in the north impoverished and embittered. While the circumstance with Malaysia is different, his brand of politics is all too similar to Malaysians.The licensed mass media in Malaysia paint a picture of a popular government but in cyberspace, dissent and criticism hog online media and social media sites that has now led Putrajaya to bring back a retired civil servant to head its communications regulatory agency.In public universities, academics and students are routinely reminded not to get involved in political activities while the colonial-era Sedition Act is now the preferred law to silence dissent.This from a government that has lost further ground in the 2013 elections from the 2008 elections where PR first denied BN its traditional two-thirds parliamentary super-majority.The BN government had also used the economy as a bait, planning economic and government transformation programmes together with direct cash aid but only gained 47% of the popular vote in 2013.Perhaps BN can learn from what contributed to Rajapakse's defeat and if it does not, it might just share the former Sri Lankan president's fate in the next general election. – January 11, 2015.
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Be impartial, don’t take cue from Umno cyber troopers, IGP told


Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek says Datuk Seri Dr Halim Shafie's experience will be an asset to MCMC. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 11, 2015.The chairman of Telekom Malaysia, Datuk Seri Dr Halim Shafie, has once again been appointed the new chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) – a post which he had previously held for three years, from April 2006 to May 2009, Bernama reported.In making the announcement, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said Halim's appointment at MCMC is for two years.Halim, 65, has held his non-executive position with Telekom Malaysia for close to six years after his stint with MCMC ended.Before joining MCMC, Halim was secretary-general of the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications where he served for six years."I am happy to announce that Datuk Seri Dr Halim Shafie has agreed to come on board again," Shabery told Bernama."His tenure will be for two years and I have assigned specific tasks for him to achieve. These include looking at good governance, which is in line with the government's efforts for all ministries and agencies."Among others, Halim will be working on decoupling the role of the chief executive officer (CEO) from the role of chairman of MCMC. I feel this is important for MCMC in ensuring continuity and the balance of power within the organisation," he added.The minister said Halim was also expected to review the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 towards creating a healthy cyberspace."What happened during the East Coast floods last year should be prevented from happening again. Although the law is not likely to prevent it fully, we hope that people will think carefully before they share information which is unverified," Bernama quoted him as saying.Shabery said in a crisis situation, such irresponsible behaviour might cause chaos and make relief work more difficult.
Datuk Seri Dr Halim Shafie is currently the chairman of Telekom Malaysia. – File pic, January 11, 2015.Halim, who is also the chairman of the Multimedia University, is well placed to assist Shabery in advancing the minister's digital agenda for the nation.Bernama quoted the minister as saying: "This year, the focus will be on all aspects of digitisation for the country. I am keen to pursue a digital initiative which will cover both hard and soft infrastructure."We need this if Malaysia is to remain competitive as a nation. In addition to focusing on content development, we also need to constantly address issues like quality, speed and affordability."Shabery also said that he would be expecting MCMC to play the lead role in implementing this and Halim's wide experience in these areas would be an asset to the organisation, and in helping him progress this digital initiative."I had to persuade Halim to come out of his semi-retirement to help me with all these tasks. His first comment to me was that age was not on his side," Bernama quoted Shabery as saying.The minister is confident that having served the nation for so long, Halim's public service background, sense of commitment and dedication as well as his corporate experience gained in the last few years would augur well for MCMC and the industry."More importantly, once the MCMC Act 1998 is amended and the role of the chairman is decoupled from the role of the CEO, Halim will be helping me in the transition of the CEO post into the newly decoupled position," he said.On the former MCMC chairman Datuk Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, the minister wished him well and thanked him for his contributions."We all appreciate his commitment to the job," Bernama quoted Shabery as saying.Halim obtained a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) degree from Universiti Malaya, Master's in Economic Development, Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and PhD in Information Transfer from Syracuse University.He started his career in the Education Ministry in 1972, followed by various appointments, including at the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) and Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu).His contributions to the public service include the setting up of Intan's National Computer Centre and Management Technology Centre.Halim is also credited with initiating programmes related to bridging the digital divide in Malaysia, formulating a framework for Ubiquitous Libraries and fostering the relationship between MCMC, the industry and academia through initiatives such as the MCMC Academy and the Consultative Committee on Spectrum Research, reported Bernama.His commitment and professionalism has won him accolades and awards from various state governments as well as the federal government.His varied experience has also seen him on the boards of numerous agencies and companies in various capacities. – Bernama, January 11, 2015.
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Malaysians taking loans to join Isis, reports paper


Security forces personnel take part in clashes with Isis in the Middle East. Officials say some Malaysians have taken loans to pay for their passage to join Isis in Syria. – Reuters pic, January 11, 2015.Some Malaysians have gone to the extent of taking personal loans from banks and moneylenders in order to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) in the Middle East.The South China Morning Post quoted Malaysian counter-terrorism officials as saying the loans were taken to fund passage and living expenses in Syria and Iraq."At least two women have taken personal loans to pay for their passage to Syria to join Isis and also to fund their living expenses there," the official told SCMP."One woman took a RM20,000 personal loan from RHB Bank while the other borrowed RM6,000 from a licensed moneylender."SCMP reported that the emerging trend comes after an Isis cell leader in Malaysia urged followers to apply for the loans in order to help them join the fight in the Middle East.Despite numerous Isis supporters and sympathisers being arrested by police, Malaysians have not been discouraged from attempting to join up with Isis.To date, at least 59 Malaysians are officially known to have joined Isis.More than 65 have been arrested by police either on their way to Syria and Iraq or on their way back since the start of last year."There are no indications that these two women will return to Malaysia. The chances of that is very slim, hence the loan is not likely to be repaid," the official told SCMP.Apart from seeking martyrdom, some Malaysians went to Syria because they wanted to live in an Islamic caliphate, which was declared in an area straddling Syria and Iraq in June last year.Malaysia, according to Isis supporters, is an infidel state as it maintains a secular constitution."We arrested a family of five in Shah Alam who sold off their business, property and land and were about to move to Syria," said the official.Shah Alam is located 25 kilometres outside the capital city of Kuala Lumpur."This family owns one restaurant and three kindergartens," the official said.At least six Malaysians have died in Syria and Iraq fighting for Isis, said the official, who also confirmed that a former Malaysian Armed Forces commando was among 135 Isis-linked militants detained by Saudi Arabian authorities in Riyadh in December. – January 11, 2015.
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Divers resume search for QZ8501 black boxes


An Indonesian rescue helicopter flying during operations conducted by Indonesian navy divers to lift the tail of AirAsia flight QZ8501 in the Java Sea yesterday. Indonesia search and rescue teams hunting for the wreck of the AirAsia passenger jet detected pings in their efforts to find the black box flight recorders. – Reuters pic, January 10, 2015.Indonesian divers resumed their search today for the black box flight recorders and passengers and crew of an AirAsia passenger jet that crashed into the sea nearly two weeks ago.Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501, with 162 people on board, lost contact with air traffic control during bad weather on December 28, less than halfway into a two-hour flight from Indonesia to Singapore. There were no survivors.
Forty-eight bodies, including at least two strapped to their seats, have been found in the Java Sea off Borneo, and the tail of the Airbus A320-200 has been located in shallow water.But strong winds and currents and high waves have hampered efforts to reach larger pieces of suspected wreckage detected by sonar on the sea floor and to find the rest of the victims.Search and rescue teams detected pings they believed were from the flight recorders yesterday and two teams of divers resumed the hunt soon after dawn today."One team is for the tail and a separate team is sweeping the seabed for the black box," Supriyadi, operations coordinator for the National Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters in the town of Pangkalan Bun, the base for the search effort on Borneo."We are still looking for the main body of the plane where most of the victims could be trapped."The tail was found on Wednesday, upturned on the seabed about 30km from the plane's last known location at a depth of about 30m.The aircraft carries the cockpit voice and flight data recorders near its tail, however, officials have said it looked increasingly likely that they had become separated during the disaster.The recorders will be vital to the investigation into why the airliner crashed.'Large area’Supriyadi said the divers would try to home in on the pings but the search area was extensive and visibility in the water, churned up by rainy season weather, was poor."The black box could be covered in mud. The pings can only be detected within a radius of 500m so it can be a large area to cover," he said.If and when the recorders are found and taken to the capital, Jakarta, for analysis, it could take up to two weeks to download data, investigators said, although the information could be accessed in as little as two days if the devices were not badly damaged.While the cause of the crash is not known, the national weather bureau has said seasonal storms were likely to be a factor. – Reuters, January 10, 2015.
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'Minta maaf? Biarlah saya disiasat dulu'

'Minta maaf? Biarlah saya disiasat dulu'


Aktivis peguam Eric Paulsen yang didakwa mengkritik khutbah Jumaat belum memutuskan sama ada akan memohon maaf atas kenyataan kontroversinya itu.
Anggota kumpulan peguam Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) itu sebaliknya berkata buat masa ini biarlah pihak polis menyiasatnya terlebih dahulu.
“Perkara ini sedang disiasat. Jadi saya rasa, biar saya kena siasat dahulu.
"Jadi lihatlah macam mana nanti,” katanya ketika ditanya gesaan supaya beliau memohon maaf dan menarik balik kenyataan itu.
Tweet Paulsen pada Jumaat itu dikritik keras pelbagai pihak, serta mengundang siasatan polis.
Beliau menulis tweet kontroversi berbunyi:
“Jakim mempromosi ekstremisme setiap Jumaat. Kerajaan perlu menanganinya jika serius mengenai ekstremisme di Malaysia”.

Timbalan Ketua Pemuda PAS Khalil Abdul Hadi (kanan) menyifatkan Paulsen menghina umat Islam jika beliau merujuk kepada khutbah Jumaat.
Manakala Utusan Malaysia pula hari ini berkata Paulsen “terlalu ekstrem”.
Kedua-dua pihak itu mahukan Paulsen memohon maaf.
Bagaimanapun, ketika dihubungi pagi ini, peguam hak asasi manusia itu berkata terdapat “salah faham” tetapi belum mahu menghuraikannya pada masa ini.
Paulsen mahu menyerahkan kepada pihak polis untuk menyiasat terlebih dahulu sebelum membuat apa-apa kenyataan.
“Polis sudah hubungi saya dan saya sedia untuk bekerjasama. Dan perkara ini menjadi kes polis. Biar proses siasatan berjalan (dahulu),” katanya ketika dihubungi Malaysiakini.
Gesa polis profesional
Sementara itu, dalam kenyataannya pagi ini, Paulsen menggesa pihak polis bertindak lebih profesional dan tidak pilih kasih dalam menjalankan tugas.
Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar semalam berkata Paulsen antara yang wajar disiasat bawah akta hasutan ekoran tindakan itu.
Malah Khalid mem
uat naik gambar Paulsen di Twitter beliau dengan tulisan “biadap”.
Paulsen mengaitkan tindakan polis terhadapnya itu dengan dengan kempen oleh tentera siber pro-Umno.
“Tidak wajar dan sungguh mengejutkan apabila ketua polis negara menerima arahan daripada tentera siber dan penyokong pro-Umno di Twitter, ketika beliau seharusnya neutral menangani mereka (kumpulan itu) yang bermotifkan politik dan jelas mempunyai niat tidak baik,” katanya.
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