Day: April 27, 2017

‘Don’t charge WhatsApp admins, give guidelines first’

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Source: FMT News

MCMC statement on WhatsApp group administrators being responsible for everything sent to group causes shockwave, resulting in disclaimer going viral. Pic from FMT News.

MCMC statement on WhatsApp group administrators being responsible for everything sent to group causes shockwave, resulting in disclaimer going viral. Pic from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: Two groups representing workers and employers say proper rules and regulations are needed to manage social media and public communication platforms like WhatsApp.

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) said this following a statement from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) that group administrators could be prosecuted if their WhatsApp groups were caught spreading fake news.

“It is too drastic. The government should provide proper guidelines first on how to manage WhatsApp rather than straight away implement laws to prosecute people,” MTUC president Abdul Halim Mansor told FMT today.

Having the proper rules and regulations in place is better than prosecution, he added. Read more →

Unicef urges corporal punishment ban, in light of Thaqif’s death

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Source: FMT News

It's a misperception that physical punishment is the only way to instil discipline among children, says Unicef spokesperson in Malaysia. Pic from FMT News.

It’s a misperception that physical punishment is the only way to instil discipline among children, says Unicef spokesperson in Malaysia. Pic from FMT News.

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has joined in the nationwide grief over the death of 11-year-old Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi, saying the incident underlines the need to ban corporal punishment in schools.

“The loss of Mohamad Thaqif to his family, school and society is a stark reminder of the negative consequences of corporal punishment and violence as a form of discipline,” said spokesperson for Unicef in Malaysia, Marianne Clark-Hattingh.

She said there were more effective methods which are “non-violent” to discipline children. Read more →

Corporal punishment must stop, Suhakam tells govt after schoolboy dies

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Razali insisted on mandatory background checks for all school hires and expressed disbelief that there are no legal procedures for schools to check on potential staff before they are allowed to work with children. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng for the MMO.

Razali insisted on mandatory background checks for all school hires and expressed disbelief that there are no legal procedures for schools to check on potential staff before they are allowed to work with children. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng for the MMO.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — Outraged by the death of 11-year-old Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gadaffi yesterday, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) wants the government to abolish corporal punishment in schools.

Its chairman Tan Sri Razali Ismail reminded the government that corporal punishments violate the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) because the violent measures damage a child physically, mentally and emotionally.

“This tragic case is a horrendous reminder to the Government that corporal punishment in schools must be eliminated because any form of physical violence against a child negatively impacts on the enjoyment of the child’s many other rights and aspects of the child’s development including his/her psychological, health, education and social status,” he said in a statement today.

Malaysia ratified the CRC in 1995.

Razali noted that prior to his death, the student of the private Islamic boarding school in Kota Tinggi, Johor was allegedly repeatedly physically punished, including a beating with a rubber hose by the dormitory assistant warden who was a former convict. Read more →

Judicial power restored after almost 20 years — Surendra Ananth

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Surendra Ananth is an advocate and solicitor in the High Court of Malaya. He is also deputy co-chairperson of the Malaysian Bar Constitutional Law Committee.

Surendra Ananth is an advocate and solicitor in the High Court of Malaya. He is also deputy co-chairperson of the Malaysian Bar Constitutional Law Committee.

APRIL 27 — The 1980s was a difficult time for the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohammad. The judicial institution was vigilant in defending the liberties of citizens against arbitrary actions by the Executive. The then prime minister could not accept this. It flies in the face of dictatorship.

In 1986, dissatisfied with several decisions of the courts that he felt unfairly limited the powers of the executive, Dr Mahathir began an increasingly acrimonious campaign against the judiciary.

This campaign resulted in two major incidents.

The first was the 1988 judicial crisis. Tun Salleh Abas (the then Lord President of the Supreme Court) was removed from office and five other Supreme Court judges were suspended.

The second was the amendment to the Federal Constitution. On March 17, 1988, a bill entitled Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 1988 (the “Bill”) was moved in the House of Representatives by Dr Mahathir. Clause 8 of the Bill sought to remove the term “judicial power” from Article 121(1) of the Federal Constitution. Read more →

PAS to apply new Shariah punishments in states it takes in GE14

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

ALOR SETAR, April 27 — PAS will introduce higher Shariah sentencing limits in the five states the party aims to control after the next general election, PAS Youth chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said today.

Nik Abduh said this was also contingent, however, on PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s Bill being passed by Parliament.

He then urged the Islamist party’s youth wing to help realise Hadi’s ambition for PAS to rule five states and win 40 parliamentary seats in the next election.

“If it is fated that Act 355 is passed in Parliament, and PAS manages to rule five states in GE14, we actually have the powers to amend Shariah enactments at the state levels,” Nik Abduh said during his opening speech at the PAS Youth Muktamar here today. Read more →

PAS starts donation drive for Sarawak Report lawsuit

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Tuan Ibrahim announced the drive while opening its youth wing’s meeting here, urging each member to contribute RM5 to the fund. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa for the MMO.

Tuan Ibrahim announced the drive while opening its youth wing’s meeting here, urging each member to contribute RM5 to the fund. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa for the MMO.

ALOR SETAR, April 27 — PAS kicked off today a donation drive among members to fund its lawsuit against UK-based website Sarawak Report.

The Islamist party’s deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man who announced the drive while opening its youth wing’s meeting here, urged each member to contribute RM5 to the fund.

“Today, we will start a special fund to collect money to fund the lawsuit,” he said.

PAS is planning to sue the website for claiming its party leaders had received monies linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Read more →

‘Admin WhatsApp’ boleh dipenjara

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Source: BH Online

KUALA LUMPUR: Admin (pentadbir) kumpulan WhatsApp berdepan tindakan undang-undang sekiranya gagal membendung penyebaran maklumat palsu dalam kalangan ahli sehingga menggugat keselamatan negara.

Timbalan Menteri Komunikasi dan Multimedia, Datuk Jailani Johari, berkata tindakan undang-undang sedia ada di bawah Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998 boleh dipertimbangkan untuk mengambil tindakan terhadap pentadbir terbabit.

Di bawah akta itu, pelbagai kesalahan boleh dikenakan tindakan seperti menyebarkan berita palsu, fitnah, menghasut, penipuan dan pendedahan komunikasi yang dilarang iaitu mendedahkan maklumat di bawah Akta Rahsia Rasmi (OSA).   Read more →

Assistant warden had them cowering

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Source: The Star

An assistant warden of the dormitory of a religious school is remanded to facilitate investigations into a child abuse case involving a student, April 23, 2017. — Bernama pic.

An assistant warden of the dormitory of a religious school is remanded to facilitate investigations into a child abuse case involving a student, April 23, 2017. — Bernama pic.

KOTA TINGGI: The mere mention of his name sent shivers down the spine of the students at the religious school.

The man who allegedly beat Mo­­hamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gadaffi, until the 11-year-old boy died, is said to be a very violent man who had all the students cowering in fear.

A student at the school who did not want to be named, said the assistant warden was very fierce.

The boy expressed shock when told that the assistant warden was a former convict who had spent 30 months in jail for theft.

About 30 students from the school came to pay their last respects to their friend Mohamad Thaqif at his grandparents’ house in Felda Bukit Aping Timur where the funeral was held. Read more →

Death of tahfiz student: Education Ministry leaves investigation to police

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Source: The Sun Daily

Mohamad Thaqif Amin

Mohamad Thaqif Amin

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has left it to the police to carry out a full investigation into the death of a tahfiz (religious school) student who was allegedly beaten up by an assistant hostel warden at the school.

It’s minister, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said although the school was not registered under the ministry, the issue was still deemed as related to the country’s education institution.

“We extend our condolences to the family of the student involved. Although I was made to understand that the school is not registered, it is still an education institution that has students and teachers.

“This matter is certainly beyond our expectation because it involves a heavy offence…We leave it (the matter) to the police,” he said when met by Bernama after the UMNO Supreme Council meeting at Menara Dato Onn here yesterday.

Mohamad Thaqif Amin, 11, whose legs were amputated on Friday to prevent infection, died at 2.05pm at the Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Baru today, where he had sought treatment. Read more →

Discretionary powers of the King — Shad Saleem Faruqi

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Source: The Star Online

BY SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

Shad Saleem Faruqi - file pic

Shad Saleem Faruqi – file pic

HIS Majesty Sultan Muhammad V, the Sultan of Kelantan, was installed as our 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on April 24. It is timely, therefore, to examine the constitutional position of our monarch.

Broadly speaking, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is invested with two categories of functions. First, a vast array of non-discretionary functions, exercisable on advice.

Second, a small number of discretionary functions in some critical areas of law and politics.
Read more →