Happy Malaysia Day!

... and an end to the I.S.A !


Najib announces major changes in controvrsial laws

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians received a significant Malaysia Day present in the form of greater civil liberties and democratic reforms under sweeping changes announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Saying that the country is evolving and the people wanted more freedom, Najib outlined the historic announcement in his Malaysia Day eve address that was telecast live on TV.

The changes, he stressed, were to accommodate and realise a mature, modern and functioning democracy; to preserve public order, enhance civil liberty and maintain racial harmony.

All these changes will need to be tabled in Parliament.

Six of the best

- The Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960 will be repealed.

In its place, two new laws will be enacted to safeguard peace and order the detention period will be reduced and can only be extended by the courts, except in cases involving terrorism.

Three remaining emergency proclamations to be lifted are:

- Emergency 1969, Emergency 1966 (Sarawak) and Emergency 1977 (Kelantan).Banishment Act 1959 will also be repealed.

- The annual licence renewal requirement for newspapers and publications will be replaced with a one-off permit by reviewing the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

- Reviewing the Restricted Residence Act 1933.

- Allowing greater freedom to assemble by reviewing Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 by taking into consideration Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees every citizen with the right to freedom of speech and assembly

The Star

Also read The Mole
Life Without I.S.A
A Voice : Ready or not, Malaysians must rise to this new found Freedom
The Scribe: Antara Liberalisasi dan Reaksi kepada Pembangkang
Shanghai Fish : Thanks but no thanks...

Bernama cameraman killed in Somalia

Journalist killed in shooting attack in Somali capital

A Malaysian journalist has been killed in a shooting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, security officials said.

Initial reports say African Union peacekeepers opened fire on his vehicle. A security official told the BBC the attack was being investigated.

Noramfaizul Mohd Nor had been on a trip with the aid agency Putera 1Malaysia Club, his employer said. Another reporter was wounded in the incident.

Aid staff have been flooding into the country to help famine victims.

'Long list'

The shooting took place near a busy junction known as Kilometer Four and AU troops were involved, security sources and the aid agency said.

Thirty-nine-year-old Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, a cameraman with Malaysia's national Bernama TV, was accompanying Putera 1Malaysia Club, who were carrying out a humanitarian mission, his employer said in a statement.

The wounded journalist was Aji Saregar Mazlan, Bernama added. The team had been due to travel home on Saturday.

Muhideen Mohamed, who works with the charity, said troops from Amisom - the AU peacekeeping force which was patrolling the city - fired on the journalists as they travelled to the airport, where they were based. Read here

Noramfaizul: A true professional, says Bernama chairman

Salam Aidil Fitri

Wishing everyone a Selamat Hari Raya Eidul Fitri. Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

Ramadhan Mubarak

Ramadhan Mubarak to all my Muslim
sisters and brothers!

Nine bodies retrieved from landslide-hit orphanage; 7 remain buried - The Star

Published: Saturday May 21, 2011 MYT 4:54:00 PM
Updated: Saturday May 21, 2011 MYT 10:54:29 PM

KAJANG: A landslide hit an orphanage Saturday afternoon killing nine and leaving seven still buried.

Firemen and villagers managed to pull out nine alive by 10pm from the Rumah Anak Yatim Hidayah, Madrasah Al-Takwa, Jalan Felcra Semungkus, 14th mile, Hulu Langat, near Kajang.

The dead and alive have been sent to the Ampang and Kajang Hospitals.

Rescuers rushing one of the injured children to the ward at Ampang Hospital

"Two landslides occurred simultaneously. All the victims did not have time to escape," said Selangor CPO Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah at a press conference at 6.45pm.

He said all those affected were 20 students attending a motivational camp at the orphanage and four caretakers.

A total of 49 students and caretakers were there but 24 escaped unhurt.

He said the body of the first victim was pulled out from the debris at about 4.30pm while the second body was retrieved at 5pm and the third at 6.10pm. The other two were pulled out at about 7.40pm. The sixth was pulled out at 9.50pm. The seventh and eighth were pulled out at 10.25pm.

The back portion of the orphanage where the landslide occurred

The orphanage was partially buried by the landslides at about 2.30pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Deputy IGP Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said that rescuers were being hampered by wet soil and rain.

He also appealed to the crowd of onlookers to stay back and allow the rescuers to do their work unimpeded.

Bernama reported that in ALOR GAJAH, Malacca, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil directed the Social Welfare Department and the 'Skuad Sayang' (Caring Squad) to provide immediate assistance to the orphans and family of the victims.

"I will get in touch with the police to obtain detailed information and the actual cause of the landslide so that my ministry can take follow-up action to assist the victms," she said. - The Star

Blog House Launches fund to help fellow blogger

Link:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150187590178149&set=a.167999438148.123096.714458148&type=1&theater&pid=7129971&id=714458148


Blog House Malaysia has launched a fund for Kerp or Danny, a wheelchair-bound blogger, who has been actively writing since 2007and who is also a former columnist with the Malay Mail.

His wife, Molee, whom he married in March last year, after a courtship of 11 years, has been diagnosed with kidney cancer and the cells have now spread to her lower vetebra requiring radiaton.

Click here to know more about the fund and how you can help.

Analysis: Killing the alibi - Opinion - Al Jazeera

Washington has less reason or justification to wage war in Afghanistan now that Osama bin laden is no more...


The killing of Osama bin Laden is more of a symbolic victory for the Obama administration than a game changer for the US strategy in the "Greater Middle East".

After 10 years of pursuing al-Qaeda's leader, responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks, the US has closed a chapter, but not the book, in its war on al-Qaeda and "international terrorism".

Since the attacks on New York and Washington, "al-Qaeda central" which was being run from the Pakistani Afghan border, has mutated into a global network of affiliates.

US "terrorism experts" have been split over the relevance of "al-Qaeda central" under the direct leadership of bin Laden and his lieutenants, in comparison to the global network of smaller cells and hardcore fighters who pledged allegiance to the leadership, or to put it bluntly, to the brand: "al-Qaeda".
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Those who discount the importance of the 'disconnected and on-the-run' al-Qaeda leaders on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan underline the importance of the decentralisation of the group.

They refer to it as SPIN (segmented, polycentric, ideologically networked) group, where al-Qaeda fighters in various parts of the world have increasingly acted on their own without direct orders or logistical and financial support from "al-Qaeda central".

In that way, al-Qaeda was more of a global and post-modern creature or phenomenon than a religious one. continue here : Analysis: Killing the alibi - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Two Malaysians among world's '100 most inspiring people'

Congratulations to Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and Zainah Anwar for being included in a New York-based global advocacy’s list of 100 most inspiring people around the world for their work in advocating the rights of women and girls.

Zainah Anwar - who founded Sisters In Islam (SIS) and is the project director of Musawah, an international collaborative group for equality and justice in the Muslim family - and blogger, women’s rights and HIV/AIDS awareness advocate Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir were named in the list put out by Women Deliver.

Zainah and Marina joined the rank of other distinguished personalities including former US first lady Laura Bush, ABC news anchor and tv personality Christiane Amanpour, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, CNN Hero of the Year and anti-sex trafficking activist Anuradha Koirala, talk show host and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

The list, announced in New York yesterday, was compiled based on the recipients’ work in improving the lives of women and girls in the fields of health, human rights, politics, economics, education, journalism and philanthropy.

Zainah who occupied the seventh position in the list, said she was informed of her inclusion in the list in mid-February.

Zainah described her biggest achievement was in empowering Muslim women to claim their right to be treated as human beings of equal worth and dignity.

Marina, who occupied the 57th position, said Women Deliver contacted her through her blog last week.

“I am very honoured to be named in the list. I think it’s nice that Malaysia is recognised. It makes people aware of Malaysia and we get international recognition. People will also take us more seriously,” said Marina who is also a SIS board member.

In a press statement released yesterday, Women Deliver president Jill Sheffield said last year had been “widely viewed as the year women’s issues finally came to the fore in international development.

“This list recognises those who successfully navigated the corridors of power, along with those on the front lines, who have worked to expand the rights and choices for girls and women everywhere,” she said. - Excerpts from the NST. For more read here.

Former journalist Swithin Monteiro dies after massive stroke

He was an old friend and a former colleague. I received news of his passing from his brother, Sandy, who sent me a text message at 2.30pm today.

Swithin, former NST and Star journalist turned PR man, died this morning after suffering a massive stroke the day before. He was 58.

He is survived by his wife Margaret Hall and son Justin.

My condolence to his family. May you rest in peace, Swithin.

Veteran entertainment journalist dies


Frankie D'Cruz
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 19:42:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The arts world and public relations lost an illustrious son yesterday afternoon when Swithin Monteiro, 58, passed away at the University Malaya Medical Centre, Petaling Jaya, after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke at his home on Sunday.

A journalist with both the New Straits Times and Star Publications, Monteiro was well-known as a public relations practitioner, trainer and advisor to several companies active in event management and crisis management.

A veteran and critical journalist who began writing for the print media since he was in school, Monteiro also forayed into live music as a member of Chrysalis Blue, alongside Marion Danker, Derek Surian and Bob Lewis, taking part in the inaugural Bakat TV 1971.

After his long stint in print media, he joined public relations company Burson-Marsteller in the late 1980s as an account supervisor and core member of its media training team, before leaving to establish Silver Tiger Entertainment which helped to launch superstar ethnic fusion group Asiabeat and brought African act Inphanze to perform in Kuala Lumpur.

Monteiro later set up his specialist agency Swithin Monteiro Media-PR which handled numerous government and private corporation projects, acting as advisor to the Ministry of National Unity and Social Development for its ‘Kamu Aku Seiring’ campaign in 2003 and as consultant for the launch of KL Sentral, the Top of the Pubs music competition, the Malaysian International Jazz Festivals, Australian Music Showcase, Le Tour de Langkawi, and JVC Asian Badminton Championships.

Monteiro was noted for his promotion of the local music scene as a committee member of the Musicians Union of Malaysia and an active fund-raising committee member of the Selangor and Federal Territory Eurasian Association.

Monteiro, who was to turn 59 in a few days, leaves wife Margaret Eileen Hall, son Justin, 29, sister Penny, and three brothers - Arnold, Ian and Sandy.

For wake and funeral service details, call Arnold at 012-2511111. The Malay Mail

Pic: Swithin and wife Margaret.