Day: October 12, 2016

What happens after objections to the EC are submitted?

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Source: The Sun Daily

j_sprPETALING JAYA: With objections to the Election Commission’s (EC) proposed recommendations for the redelineation exercise ending tomorrow (Friday), many wonder what the next steps are for the process to go through.

According to Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Jay Jay Denis, the EC is expected to hold public inquiries with the objectors to determine the reasons and feedback from the proposal.

“Once the EC collects all the objections, under provisions stated in Schedule 13 of the Federal Constitution, they hold a public inquiry at state level to hear the grouses of those objecting the proposal.

“During the hearing, three constituents who had objected to the proposal will be summoned to give their feedback while up to 20 constituents may attend the hearing,” he told theSun yesterday. Read more →

Death row: Be more transparent, Pardons Board, Prisons told

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Source: FMT News

At present, death penalty inmates and their families are not given sufficient notice of executions and some languish in prison for a long time. AI-M Executive Director Shamini Darshni, pic taken from FMT News

At present, death penalty inmates and their families are not given sufficient notice of executions and some languish in prison for a long time.
AI-M Executive Director Shamini Darshni, pic taken from FMT News

PETALING JAYA: Amnesty International-Malaysia (AI-M) has urged for better transparency from the Pardons Board and the Prisons Department when it comes to the death penalty.

Speaking to FMT, AI-M Executive Director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu elaborated on her recent call for greater transparency in the use of the death penalty.

Shamini said at the moment, when the Pardons Board made a decision, it could go both ways, with an inmate either receiving clemency or being executed almost immediately.

Shamini said this was why better transparency was needed in how the Pardons Board and Prisons Department operated. Read more →

A peep into moral policing — Dr. Mustafa K. Anuar

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

By Dr. Mustafa K. Anuar

Dr. Mustafa K Anuar is a fellow at Penang Institute. Pic taken from the Malay Mail Online

Dr. Mustafa K Anuar is a fellow at Penang Institute. Pic taken from the Malay Mail Online

OCT 12 — In an apparent frenzy to burnish Malaysia’s Islamic credentials, the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) has recently resorted to modern communications technology to encourage Muslims to help police the morals of the Muslim community.

A mobile app – called “Hotline Jais” – that is available on Android devices enables members of the public to report suspected Shariah-related crimes, such as khalwat (close proximity) and “deviant Islamic teachings”, at a faster rate.

In other words, the kind of reporting that is supposedly driven by the spirit of amar makruf nahi mungkar (urging on what is good, and rejecting evil).

Such an innovation also means that JAIS is relying on vigilantes to help monitor – and catch – potential offenders of Shariah with members of the general public. Therein lies the rub. Read more →

Dr M admits corruption in his time, but insists policies still led to growth

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Dr Mahathir, who helmed the country from 1981 to 2003, told the portal that he did have some regrets during the time, including his 'failure' in being unable to 'change' the Malays. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Dr Mahathir, who helmed the country from 1981 to 2003, told the portal that he did have some regrets during the time, including his ‘failure’ in being unable to ‘change’ the Malays. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 12 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted that his 22 years in office may have been marred by corruption, but the former prime minister contended that the country still flourished under his policies.

In an interview with news portal Malaysiakini, Dr Mahathir admitted that he may have had some bad policies during his time as Malaysia’s prime minister but insisted that it did not stop the country’s development.

“There was corruption, for example, but not to the extent that it stops the development of this country.

“The country grew much faster during my time than before, and that was because some good policies were implemented,” Dr Mahathir was quoted saying.

Dr Mahathir’s administration saw a wave of privatisation in the 1990s, which detractors said have caused cronyism and corruption to flourish among those connected to the status quo. Read more →

Why people support the unsupportable – Dr. Azmi Sharom

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Source: The Star Online

Dr. Azmi Sharom is a law teacher in Universiti Malaya.

Dr. Azmi Sharom is a law teacher in Universiti Malaya.

SHOULD people be given the vote? Are people too stupid to be entrusted with selecting their leaders and the future of their respective nations?

Looking around the world, it would seem that there is a strong reason to believe so. Based on half-truths, nationalist fear-mongering and outright lies, the British chose to leave the European Union.

The Americans have a vile, mi­sogynistic, racist, infantile bully as a potential president. The people of the Philippines are apparently supportive of a presi­dent whose crime-fighting policy amounts to little more than murder.

All these countries have a democratic system of government. At various stages naturally, with some more mature than others, but at the end of the day, in all four nations, people vote. So the question is, are the people too dumb to do so? Read more →