Centre for A Better Tomorrow (Cenbet)

Cenbet calls for review of government censorship process

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

PETALING JAYA: Following the government’s ban on a book authored by a group of eminent Malay moderates, the Centre for a Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) says the home ministry should review its censorship process for print publications.

In a statement today, the NGO’s co-president Gan Ping Sieu said this was not the first time the ministry’s decision to ban certain books had attracted bad press for the country.

He pointed to the 2011 ban on an article in The Economist on Malaysia’s electoral reforms, adding that numerous other “questionable” decisions to ban books and magazines had been made over the years. Read more →

Enact anti-discrimination, hate speech laws, Suhakam urges Putrajaya

admin

Source: The Malay Mail Online

interfaith_walk_4_620_412_100

According to Cenbet’s survey released last week, Malaysians in the peninsular are categorised as ‘average or selectively racist’. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) today revived calls on the federal government to introduce fresh legislation outlawing hate speech and discrimination, saying the laws were necessary to end racism here.

The commission also urged Putrajaya to accede to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), an accord that would compel Malaysia to enact such laws in order to eliminate racial discrimination and promote understanding among races.

“Malaysia continues to be confronted with evidence that it is still far from realising the goal of inter-ethnic, racial and religious harmony that our founding fathers had strived to achieve,” Suhakam said in a statement issued in conjunction with the International Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day today. Read more →

Peninsular Malaysians ‘average or selectively’ racist, NGO’s racism index shows

admin

Source: The Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 ― Malaysians in the peninsula are “average or “selectively” racist, Centre for a Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) said today, citing findings from a recent survey conducted for its Racism Index.

According to the index unveiled this morning, peninsular Malaysians scored 59.1 per cent on the index, putting them in the “average or selectively racist” category, behind the categories “racist” and “moderately racist”.

Cenbet co-president Gan Ping Sieu said that the survey showed that although many Malaysians here do not see themselves racist, their answers appeared to indicate they still have racist tendencies.

“Despite what we say, we are generally and selectively racist in nature. We have shades of racism in us,” he said. Read more →

Pertikaian keluarga di mahkamah luaskan jurang masyarakat, kata NGO

admin

Sumber: The Malaysian Insider

Gan Ping Sieu berkata kes penukaran agama kanak-kanak secara unilateral bertukar menjadi wajah hodoh agama dan perkauman. – Gambar fail The Malaysian Insider, 1 Januari, 2016.

Kes penukaran agama anak-anak M Indira Gandhi, wanita beragama Hindu yang suaminya memeluk Islam, memecah-belahkan masyarakat, kata pertubuhan masyarakat sivil Centre for A Better Tomorrow (Cenbet).

Menurut presiden bersama Cenbet, Gan Ping Sieu, yang juga bekas timbalan menteri, kes itu menyebabkan ruang terbuka luas buat pelampau dan ekstremis agama dalam negara untuk bersuara.

“Akhirnya apa yang berlaku adalah pertikaian keluarga bertukar menjadi wajah hodoh agama dan perkauman yang meluaskan jurang antara masyarakat berlainan agama di negara ini.

“Ini menyebabkan wujudnya ruang subur buat pelampau dan bigot untuk bangkit dan ia bertentangan dengan prinsip kesederhanaan,” kata Gan dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Beliau kesal dengan kes tersebut yang menurutnya menyaksikan Indira dinafikan keadilan. Read more →