Day: November 10, 2015

Malaysian political cartoonist Zunar ready to face multiple Sedition Act charges

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Source: ABC News

Political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ul-Haque, popularly known as Zunar, has said he is prepared to return to Malaysia to face the Sedition Act charges that may put him behind bars for up to 43 years.

Opposition groups in Malaysia have long criticised the colonial-era law — which was initially put in place by the British in 1948 to stop opposition to colonial rule — as being used in modern times to silence critics and opposition voices.

Zunar is well known for his hard-hitting cartoons, which often target public figures like prime minister Najib Razak and issues like government corruption. Read more →

Humans taking back seat to environment in palm oil impact talks, activists say

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

UK daily The Guardian reported today an ‘abusive system’ to be prevalent in Malaysia’s palm oil industry, involving human trafficking for labour, debt bondage and culminating in the birth of stateless children born to these foreign workers. — Reuters pic

UK daily The Guardian reported today an ‘abusive system’ to be prevalent in Malaysia’s palm oil industry, involving human trafficking for labour, debt bondage and culminating in the birth of stateless children born to these foreign workers. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — In the storm over the palm oil sector’s slash-and-burn practices, Malaysia’s migrant worker “unfriendly” laws have been overshadowed by the uproar over environmental concerns that resulted in the thick haze that recently blanketed Southeast Asia, rights activists claim.

Citing several migrant rights advocacy experts, UK daily The Guardian reported today an “abusive system” to be prevalent in Malaysia’s palm oil industry, involving human trafficking for labour, debt bondage and culminating in the birth of stateless children born to these foreign workers.

“It is a very abusive system that includes labour-trafficking, debt bondage and unfair payments,” Eric Gottwald, legal and policy director at the International Labour Rights Forum, was quoted as saying.

Malaysia is the world’s second biggest producer of palm oil after Indonesia and with the country seeking to leap from the ranks of middle-income into high-income, much of the labour-intensive jobs have been farmed out to workers from other lower-income countries. Read more →

Suhakam seeks answers from Putrajaya after drastic budget cut

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Source: The Malaysian Insider

Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam says the halving of allocation for the rights commission would affect its operations and programmes. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 10, 2015.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) will question Putrajaya over the decision to drastically cut its budget allocation for 2016, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently.

Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam said the commission was very concerned as it would mean that certain programmes planned earlier cannot be carried out.

Suhakam’s budget for next year has been cut by almost 50%, from RM10,986,200 for 2015 to RM5,509,400 for 2016.

“We are obviously very concerned about the drastic budget cut as it will adversely affect our planned programmes and activities,” he told The Malaysian Insider. Read more →

Najib slammed for slashing Suhakam’s budget by half

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Source: MalaysiaKini

The dramatic budget cut of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is proof that the government lacks political will to empower Suhakam, said Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy.

“The Malaysian government cannot in good conscience claim that they hold human rights and civil liberties in high regards when it is not reflected in the budget allocation for Suhakam,” he said in a statement today.

Suhakam’s budget allocation has been slashed from slightly over RM10 million this year to RM5.5 million for 2016. Read more →

Keluarga lelaki tunggu hukuman mati di Singapura minta bantuan ahli Parlimen Sarawak

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Sumber: The Malaysian Insider

Ibu Kho Jabing, Lenduk dan adik, Jumai kini sedang berusaha mendapatkan bantuan ahli Parlimen Sarawak dalam usaha meringankan hukuman mati terhadap Jabing. – Gambar Facebook, 10 November, 2015.

Susulan penangguhan pelaksanaan hukuman gantung ke atas warga Sarawak, Kho Jabing di Singapura, ahli keluarganya akan datang ke Kuala Lumpur esok sebagai usaha terakhir mendapatkan sokongan daripada wakil rakyat supaya meneliti kesnya dan merayu diringankan hukuman.

Hukuman ke atas Jabing, 31, ditangguhkan Mahkamah Rayuan Singapura Khamis lalu, kurang 24 jam sebelum dia dijadualkan dihukum gantung di Penjara Changi kerana menyebabkan kematian warganegara China Cao Ruyin pada 2007.

Adik Jabing, Jumai dan ibunya, Lenduk, dijangka tiba di Kuala Lumpur esok bagi bertemu wakil rakyat Sarawak, kata peguam Malaysia Ngeow Chow Ying. Read more →