Day: August 2, 2017

Sept 30 deadline for UNHCR cardholders to get MyRC card

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

KUALA LUMPUR: About 150,000 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders in Malaysia have until Sept 30 to apply for the special MyRC identity card issued by the home ministry after registering under the Tracking Refugees Information System (TRIS).

As such, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said refugees currently in the country were encouraged to input their biometric data under the new TRIS to ensure the government had updated and extensive data on them.

To date, only 321 UNHCR refugees have registered to get the MyRC, comprising Myanmar nationals (98%), Pakistanis (1.25%) and Sri Lankans (0.31%), he said.

Nur Jazlan said the MyRC initiative was implemented under the “Proof of Concept (POC)” programme on April 1.

 He said the POC programme would enable the government to obtain information and the biometric data of refugees and asylum seekers, currently in the UNHCR database.

Read more →

Bar: Contempt of court to continue using ‘bin Abdullah’

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Bar says the National Registration Department’s (NRD) decision to continue adding the surname “bin Abdullah” when registering a Muslim child whose parents are not married, is in contempt of court and cannot be condoned.

In a statement today, Bar president George Varughese noted that the government had filed an appeal against the Court of Appeal decision, adding that this was within its rights.

“However, until and unless there is an order for a stay of execution of that decision and/or the decision is reversed by the Federal Court, it is incumbent on all parties to respect and comply with the decision,” he said.

On July 25, the Court of Appeal said the NRD had acted outside its powers when it used the surname “Abdullah” to register a Muslim child born out of wedlock, against the mother’s wish to use the father’s name. Read more →

Home ministry bans 8 ‘immoral, disturbing’ books

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: The Malaysian Insight 

THE Home Ministry (KDN) has gazetted a ban on eight publications which contents disturb the mind, pose a threat to public peace, go against moral teachings, and are obscene, said KDN secretary-general Alwi Ibrahim today.

He said the prohibition order for the eight books was issued under Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (Act 301).

“The order stipulates that the printing, importation, production, reproduction, publishing, sale, issue, circulation, distribution or possession of that publication is absolutely prohibited in Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.

Alwi said five publications were found to have content contradictory to the teachings of Islam as practised in Malaysia. Read more →

UNHCR says it cooperates with home ministry on refugees

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

PETALING JAYA: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it is cooperating with the Malaysian government over the issue of refugees under its care in the country.

“We are fully committed to find ways that better protect refugees, and at the same time address any legitimate concerns about security, law and order,” the agency said in a statement today.

The UNHCR was responding to a comment by Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed last week that the ministry had not been getting the appropriate cooperation from UNHCR to implement the Proof of Concept (POC) programme to vet 150,000 UNHCR refugees in the country.

He said the ministry had then decided to directly obtain biometric information from those seeking asylum.

However, UNHCR said there is already cooperation taking place on the issue of registration. Read more →

MP takes Pandikar to court for rejecting 1MDB questions

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News

KUALA LUMPUR: Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian has filed a lawsuit against Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia and the House secretary over the rejection of his questions related to 1MDB.

The PKR lawmaker is seeking a court declaration that Pandikar’s decision to reject his questions related to 1MDB dated July 21, be made null and void.

Hee had requested to ask the government whether it had raised any objection on the United States Department of Justice’s (DoJ) forfeiture suit. He also wanted to know the whereabouts of businessman Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) as well as the status of Jho Low’s citizenship as he was alleged to have more than one.

He claimed Pandikar’s action in rejecting his questions on 1MDB had breached his constitutional rights and the rights to free speech in the Dewan Rakyat. Read more →