Day: February 16, 2017

Syariah amendments constitutional, says former judge

Alissa Lee

Source: The Star Online

Retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof said the [amended RUU355] Bill would be constitutional if the crimes it addressed did not overlap with matters included in the Federal List, including murder, rape, robbery and theft.

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Retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof speaking at a lecture on the legality of the proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355). Pic taken from The Star Online.

PETALING JAYA: Amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) are constitutional, but the proposed upper limits of its punishments are too high, warns retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

He said attempting to set higher punishments through the Syariah courts would destroy the precepts that these courts were of limited power.

“Can it be done? Yes. Should it be done? No, I believe the upper limits are simply too high,” he said during a lecture on the legality of the proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355). Read more →

Malaysians’ distrust of govt, media, NGOs in line with global trends

Coordinator

Source: FMT News

Edelman Trust Barometer 2017 report states decline in trust level towards businesses as well. Pic form FMT News.

Edelman Trust Barometer 2017 report states decline in trust level towards businesses as well. Pic from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have generally grown in their distrust of four key institutions in the country, namely the government, media, businesses and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

This was revealed in the Edelman Trust Barometer 2017 report launched yesterday.

While the trust levels by Malaysians towards business organisations and NGOs this year remained neutral at 58% and 56% respectively, they dropped from last year’s trust level of 61% and 58%, respectively.

However, the pre-existing distrust of the government and media worsened between 2016 and 2017, the report said. Read more →

UN rights envoy urges inquiry into abuses of Rohingya in Myanmar

Evan Quick

Source: IRIN News

By Jared Ferrie

The front page of Myanmar's state-run newspaper on 9 February 2017 carried two articles about government attempts to investigate alleged military abuses of Rohingya. Pic by Jared Ferrie/IRIN

The front page of Myanmar’s state-run newspaper on 9 February 2017 carried two articles about government attempts to investigate alleged military abuses of Rohingya. Pic by Jared Ferrie/IRIN

The UN should launch an inquiry into military abuses of Myanmar’s minority Rohingya Muslims, because the government is incapable of carrying out a credible investigation, the UN’s rights envoy will tell the Human Rights Council next month.
Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, told IRIN that she will urge member states to sponsor a resolution for a commission of inquiry when she presents her report to the Council in Geneva on 13 March.
“I never said in the past to a reporter what I plan to put in my report,” she said in a phone interview. “This time I am making this point: I will certainly be pushing for an inquiry, definitely, on the Rohingya situation.”
Rights groups have, over the past few years, been urging the UN to investigate reports of abuses against the Rohingya, a mostly stateless minority forced to live under an apartheid system. But the calls have become more urgent since reports of mass rapes, killings, and other atrocities began to emerge in early October, when the military launched counterinsurgency operations.

Read more →

Malaysians should learn from Acehnese treatment of Rohingya refugees, says activist

Alissa Lee

Source: The Star Online

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PETALING JAYA: Malaysians should take a leaf from the book of the Acehnese people on their treatment of refugees, said a human rights activist.

Lilliane Fan of the Geutanyoe Foundation for Aceh said that during the Rohingya boat crisis in 2015, the Acehnese fishermen took it upon themselves to save the Rohingya at sea.

She said that while the Acehnese themselves have suffered because of a long-standing conflict there, they also believe strongly in their adat or customary law.

Read more →

Kelantan Orang Asli stage protest march in KL

Evan Quick

Source: FMT News

By Faiz Zainudin

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Orang Asli protestors in KL on 15 February, 2017 – Pic from FMT News

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of 50 Orang Asli from Gua Musang, Kelantan, today gathered outside the Forestry Department here to protest the tearing down of anti-logging blockades in the Balah forest reserve.

Lawyer and human rights activist Siti Kasim, along with representatives of 20 NGOs, including Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa and Suara Rakyat Malaysia, took part.

They marched about 1km from Wisma Tani to the department’s headquarters on Jalan Sultan Salahuddin here.

The group was denied entry into the Forestry Department building by security guards.

That did not stop the protesters from speaking out against alleged mistreatment of the Orang Asli in Kelantan.

Read more →