Day: September 29, 2016

NCC needs to be set up under the Council of Rulers, says Nazir Razak

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Nazir Razak — Reuters pic

Nazir Razak — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 ― CIMB Group Chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak today said that the second National Consultative Council (NCC) or NCC2, a national platform for reconciliation, needs to be set up under the auspices of the Council of Rulers.

“Set up with the support of the government, political parties, civil society, academics, religious leaders and businessmen,” he said when launching The Star’s book Moderation, a collection of 28 essays that presents diverse views on the concept of moderation in Malaysia at Menara Star here today.

The first NCC was set up in 1970 after the 1969 riots.

Nazir said there was a need “to discuss moderately, behind closed doors, the long list of sensitive issues that range from the state of our education system, affirmative action, the role of religion in national life, the integrity of the Federation, the issues of corruption and competitive politics, and of course, rebuilding trust in our institutions.”

He said it was time to ask if the system mostly designed in 1970 still works well enough. Read more →

EC must implement automatic voter registration to prevent disenfranchisement of voters — Bersih 2.0

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bersih2-0
MEDIA STATEMENT
29 SEPTEMBER 2016

EC must implement automatic voter registration to prevent disenfranchisement of voters

BERSIH 2.0 welcomes the statement released by the Election Commission (EC) Chairperson Datuk Seri Hashim Abdullah today, giving some clarity to the confusion over the process of voter registration.

There has been too much misinformation over the past few weeks over deadlines to register to vote and false mechanisms to register through WhatsApp or SMS.

BERSIH 2.0 believes this misinformation is due to the systematic failure of the Election Commission to facilitate voter registration. There is now a situation in which voters, within Malaysia and overseas, do not know how to register to vote.

Since the 13th General Election, the EC has made it increasingly difficult for political parties and NGOs to conduct voter registration activities by blocking their applications to be Assistant Registrar Officers (AROs).

There are still over 4 million eligible citizens that have not registered to vote. At the current rate of registration by the Election Commission, there is little chance of this number being reduced before the next General Election.

BERSIH 2.0 repeats its long-held demand to introduce automatic voter registration, based on information already held by the National Registration Department. Read more →

Agong’s role to safeguard nation, says Aziz Bari

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Source: FMT News

Constitutional law expert says Prime Minister's Office cannot speak on Agong's behalf over the meeting with Dr Mahathir on Citizens' Declaration. Pic taken from FMT News

Constitutional law expert says Prime Minister’s Office cannot speak on Agong’s behalf over the meeting with Dr Mahathir on Citizens’ Declaration. Pic taken from FMT News

SHAH ALAM: The Yang diPertuan Agong should rise above the politics of the country and play his role to safeguard the interest of the nation, said constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari.

Referring to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the matter of Dr Mahathir Mohamad presenting the Citizens’ Declaration with 1.4 million signatures to the Agong on Sept 15, Aziz said there was a definite conflict of interest.

“As the father of the nation, the Agong should not be dragged into this. Ideally, the Agong should rise above politics and play his role, because I think the nation is in a chaotic situation.

“What is the attitude, or the stance of the Agong in particular, and the Conference of Rulers as a whole, as this is a matter involving the prime minister?

“So I don’t think he (Prime Minister Najib Razak) is the right person to speak on the Agong’s behalf,” Aziz said at a forum on The Federal Constitution and the Powers of the Royal Institution here last night. Read more →

Former journo arrested again over Haron Din tweet

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Source: FMT News

Sidek Kamiso now detained at Dang Wangi district police headquarters for allegedly causing religious disharmony. Pic taken from FMT News.

Sidek Kamiso now detained at Dang Wangi district police headquarters for allegedly causing religious disharmony. Pic taken from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: Former journalist Sidek Kasimo was today arrested and later released on police bail.

According to lawyer Siti Kassim, Sidek was arrested under Section 298(a) of the Penal Code for allegedly causing religious disharmony.

Sidek was arrested at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters where he had been called in to give a statement, Star Online reported.

This is the second time Sidek has been caught over a tweet he had allegedly posted on Sept 16 following the death of former PAS spiritual adviser Haron Din.

In the early hours of September 19, Sidek was nabbed by police at his home in Petaling Jaya, and was eventually taken to Johor.

He was later released after police failed to remand him when the magistrate in Johor dismissed their request, saying it was “an abuse of court process”. Read more →

Abuse of domestic workers in Malaysia

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Source: BFM

We’ve read the stories – maid starved to death; maid tortured and sexually assaulted by employers; abused maid recounts eight months in torture chamber. Even if domestic workers aren’t physically abused by their employers, many of their lives resemble that of a modern day slave – unfair wages, no days off, no telephones, having their passports withheld, and so on. Joining us to discuss the troubling issue of domestic worker abuse and how we should address this, are Aegile Fernandez and Katrina Maliamauv from Tenaganita.

US prepares to cede key role for internet

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

When the agreement with the US Commerce Department runs out, ICANN will become a self-regulating non-profit international entity managing the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, the system for online 'domains' such as .com.

When the agreement with the US Commerce Department runs out, ICANN will become a self-regulating non-profit international entity managing the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, the system for online ‘domains’ such as .com.

WASHINGTON, Sept 29 — The US government is set to cut the final thread of its oversight of the internet, yielding a largely symbolic but nevertheless significant role over the online address system.

Barring any last-minute glitches, the transition will occur at midnight Friday (1200 Saturday in Malaysia), when the US contract expires for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which manages the internet’s so-called “root zone.”

When the agreement with the US Commerce Department runs out, ICANN will become a self-regulating non-profit international entity managing the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, the system for online “domains” such as .com.

US and ICANN officials say the change is part of a longstanding plan to “privatise” those functions, but some critics complain about a “giveaway” that could threaten the internet’s integrity. Read more →