Day: November 28, 2016

Malaysia: Bersih 2.0’s Maria Chin Abdullah Freed

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Source: Asian Correspondent

(File) Maria Chin Abdullah, center, chairwoman of the Bersih movement - a coalition for clean and fair elections. Pic: AP.

(File) Maria Chin Abdullah, center, chairwoman of the Bersih movement – a coalition for clean and fair elections. Pic: AP.

MARIA Chin Abdullah has been released after the leader of the Bersih 2.0 movement spent 11 days in detention under Malaysia’s Special Offences Special Measures Act 2012 (SOSMA) following her arrest the eve of the recent Bersih 5 rally.

Maria was being investigated under Section 124c of the Penal Code for engaging in activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy during her detention.

The electoral watchdog group confirmed the candlelight vigil scheduled for tonight at Dataran Merdeka will go on as planned and Maria will be in attendance.

The group, however, will not be gathering at the KL High Courts tomorrow, the day the courts were set to hear a habeas corpus application seeking her immediate release from detention. Read more →

Maria-linked Empower raided under Sosma

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Source: The Sundaily

Maria Chin Abdullah, center, chairwoman of the Bersih movement - a coalition for clean and fair elections. Pic: AP.

Maria Chin Abdullah, center, chairwoman of the Bersih movement – a coalition for clean and fair elections. Pic: AP.

PETALING JAYA: Police raided women’s rights group Empower’s office in Section 4 here today under the Security Offences (Special Measures Act) 2012 (Sosma).

According to tweets sent out by the non-governmental organisation, 10 officers raided the office at about 1pm.

They also did not inform Empower members why the raid was being conducted.

Empower said police were also not allowing any of their lawyers into the office and had covered all the windows with papers. The police had apparently also locked all doors.

It is learnt that police were investigating Empower under Section 124C of the Penal Code and also under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma). Read more →

Future free trade pacts must not impair Malaysia’s policy space: Legal consultant — Gurdial Singh Nijar

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Source: The Sun Daily

BY GURDIAL SINGH NIJAR
(Deputy President, HAKAM)

PETALING JAYA: The likely demise of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) gives Malaysia an opportunity to ensure that any free trade agreement in the future does not impair the country’s policy space, said Sreenevasan Advocates & Solicitors consultant, Gurdial Singh Nijar.

Read more →

Systematic thuggery on the rise in Malaysia — Zan Azlee

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Source: Asian Correspondent

Riot police standing guard as they made sure to prevent the red and yellow shirts from clashing during Saturday's rallies. Pic by Zan Azlee for Asian Correspondent.

Riot police standing guard as they made sure to prevent the red and yellow shirts from clashing during Saturday’s rallies. Pic by Zan Azlee for Asian Correspondent.

IT looks like political thuggery is fast becoming legit and commonplace in Malaysia. The perception that state-sponsored thuggery is starting to proliferate is on the high side among many citizens in the country and you can’t blame them.

There have been many cases where groups that are known to have links with the ruling party, mainly Umno (United Malays National Organisation), resorting to violence to counter any ideas and opinions that go against theirs. Here are some of the more recent ones that have been in the media. Read more →

The Rohingyas: Act now to stop the genocide! — Azril Mohd Amin

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Azril Mohd Amin is chief executive of Centhra while JUST Malaysia.

Azril Mohd Amin is chief executive of Centhra while JUST Malaysia.

NOVEMBER 28 — There is increasing recognition of the fact that “ethnic cleansing” of the Rohingyas — a genocide — is taking place in Rakhine, Myanmar. A number of groups and individuals are coming to terms with this grim reality especially after the “evidence of a new reign of terror and wholesale destruction of communities exercised by the Myanmar state against the Rohingya population has emerged” in October/November 2016.

On November 25, 2016, the Malaysian government officially referred to the “alleged ethnic cleansing” of the Rohingyas.

Given the constraints of bilateral relations within the context of their common Asean membership, the Malaysian government has more than at any time in the past admonished the Myanmar government for its acts of commission and omission vis-à-vis the tragic plight of the Rohingya people. Read more →

World rights NGO urges end to Zunar’s ‘harassment’

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Source: Malaysiakini

Pic form Malaysiakini.

Pic from Malaysiakini.

International and local human rights organisations have slammed what they call the continued harassment of cartoonist Zunar, who was arrested during an exhibition in Penang last Saturday.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation Suaram called on the government to “immediately end the harassment of renowned cartoonist Zunar and drop all charges against him”.

“The arbitrary arrest of Zunar is the latest deplorable act of harassment by a government that is intolerant of any form of peaceful dissent. Read more →

Why right-wing politics succeed

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Source: FMT News

Political analyst Faisal S Hazis believes economic conditions influence the rise of the right wing heavily. Pic from FMT News.

Political analyst Faisal S Hazis believes economic conditions influence the rise of the right wing heavily. Pic from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: Economic conditions play a large part in attracting voters to right-wing political narratives, according to political analyst Faisal S Hazis of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Speaking to FMT, he noted that the swing to the right was happening not only in Malaysia but also many other parts of the world, including advanced countries like the United States and countries at the other end of the economic spectrum, such as Myanmar.

“This phenomenon has a lot to do with economics, with the fact that there’s been one recession after another and with the expansion of the gap between rich and poor,” he said.

Speaking of Malaysia, he said the swing became clear after the 2013 general election. Read more →