Month: May 2017

Amanah Youth lodges nationwide police reports against EC

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Source: FMT News

Members of youth wing allege that certain quarters, alarmed by the rise in new voters, are trying to interfere with access to information, with the help of the EC. Pic from FMT News.

KUALA LUMPUR: Members of Amanah’s Youth wing, fearing possible interference in the registration of new voters, have lodged police reports, calling for the Election Commission (EC) to be probed.

In a press conference outside the Dang Wangi police headquarters here today, Federal Territories Amanah Youth chief Nik Abdul Razak said 14 police reports had been lodged nationwide against the EC.

“The first quarter of 2017 shows that there is a 500% rise in new voter registration and a change of voting addresses, compared to the same quarter in previous years. Read more →

Suhakam: Give mothers in prison proper healthcare, child support

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Source: FMT News

The human rights commission says necessary prenatal as well as postpartum care and treatment must be provided for female prisoners. Pic from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) wants pregnant and breastfeeding prisoners to be given the same level of healthcare provided to women outside prison.

In its 2017 nationwide survey and report on the right to health in prison, the commission revealed that prisoners who are expecting as well as those have delivered do not receive necessary prenatal and postpartum care and treatment.

Suhakam also found that prisons are not medically equipped to safely provide birth services. Instead, they usually transport pregnant women to the nearest general hospital.

“Pregnant prisoners should (also) have access to female medical practitioners if requested,” it said. Read more →

Plight of the ‘illegitimate’ child? — Gurdial singh Nijar

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Source: The Sun Daily

BY GURDIAL SINGH NIJAR
(Deputy President, HAKAM)

WHAT happens when a child is born out of wedlock to a Malaysian-citizen father and a foreign migrant mother who leaves the country and cannot be traced? The marriage is not registered under the relevant law. The child is, hence, considered “illegitimate”.

Is the child a citizen by operation of law? The National Registration Department refuses to recognise the child as a citizen.

Read more →

Watchdog calls for end to state laws criminalising gender, sexual identity

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Taylor’s University had explained that it cancelled LGBT awareness event at its campus because the organisers did not obtain its approval. — AFP pic

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on Malaysia noted that attacks against trans women have become increasingly brutal. — AFP file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Malaysian laws criminalising activities like cross-dressing has led to increased discrimination and violence against transgenders and those of different sexual identities and orientations, an international human rights watchdog said.

In its latest report to the United Nations committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on Malaysia released Friday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted that attacks against these peoples, especially trans women, have become increasingly brutal.

It highlighted the February murder of a trans woman named Sameera in Kuantan, Pahang whose body was also mutilated as a recent example of the growing phobia taking against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the country.

The organisation further noted the increased frequency of state-sanctioned raids, arrests and prosecution of transgenders who are subjected to rough treatment under detention, and added that these have far-reaching socio-economic repercussions. Read more →

Constitution, not Umno, protects minority rights, critics tell Annuar Musa

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Minority rights that Tan Sri Annuar Musa claimed were protected and provided by Umno come instead from the Federal Constitution, said lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle.

Rebutting the Umno information chief’s remarks on Friday that the existence of Chinese schools, names and culture in Malaysia was due to Umno’s efforts and “blessings, they further said these were achieved through the joint efforts of all Malaysians rather than any single party.

PKR strategy director Sim Tze Tzin said Annuar’s remarks showed that Umno was stuck in “dinosaur politics” and outdated colonial methods of “divide-and-rule” by pitting different races against each other.

“In modern politics, political parties will be very thankful to the people for support, not asking people to be thankful to be good to them.

“It is their job to create a conducive and peaceful environment for everyone to prosper but they ask people to be thankful to them for doing their job. Read more →

Terengganu not ready for hudud law yet, says MB

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Source: FMT News

KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu is not prepared to implement hudud law until an in-depth study on it is conducted first, says Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.

He said the decision to implement hudud law must be determined by the state legislative assembly and only after getting the consent of the Terengganu Sultan.

“We are now focusing on Bill 355 … once it is approved, only then can we see which Islamic law provisions can be implemented under the bill. We should not rush into this matter.” Read more →

Memory of Wang Kelian victims must spur fight against human trafficking

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Source: Aliran

Photo from Aliran

Two years after the discovery of mass graves in a village in Kedah, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Muslim Organisations (Mapim) and the Penang Stop Human Trafficking Campaign held a memorial there.

Two years ago, the Malaysian police announced the discovery of 139 grave sites in 28 detention camps used by human traffickers, found in the jungles of Perlis in Malaysia. Read more →

Law expert: Recent refreshing apex court ruling could be short lived

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Source: FMT News

Going by precedent, judgments that establish legal principles can be set aside, says Gurdial Singh Nijar, reminding the legal fraternity not to be too happy with recent landmark decision that restored judicial power to courts.

Gurdial Singh Nijar – pic drawn from FMT News

PETALING JAYA: A legal consultant has cautioned the legal fraternity that a recent Federal Court ruling that affirmed the rule of law and judicial power of the court could be set aside sooner than expected.

Gurdial Singh Nijar said, going by past precedent, another panel of the apex court could depart from that landmark judicial pronouncement.

“I can see the danger of that decision being overturned by another bench,” Gurdial said in response to a question from the floor at a forum at Universiti Malaya yesterday. Read more →

End the Pretence: Repeal SOSMA — Malaysian Bar

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Press Release

End the Pretence: Repeal SOSMA

The Malaysian Bar is dismayed that the provision for pre-charge detention for up to 28 days, pursuant to the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (“SOSMA”), was renewed for a further five-year period by the Dewan Rakyat on 5 April 2017.

The Malaysian Bar reiterates that pre-charge detention under SOSMA — coupled with the absence of any judicial supervision or oversight of that detention, and the frequent delay or denial of immediate access by detainees to legal representation — is a gross violation of the fundamental liberties protected under Article 5 of the Federal Constitution.  This period of 28 days is twice as long as that provided for in other offences pursuant to the Criminal Procedure Code, and is wholly unnecessary. Read more →

Court to hear Selangor MB’s bid to declassify A-G’s 1MDB report on Aug 1

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 ― The High Court here today set Aug 1 to hear the application for a judicial review filed by Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Muhammad Zahid Md Arip to challenge the decision to classify the Auditor-General’s report on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) as official secret.

Judge Datuk Wira Kamaludin Md Said set the date in chambers in the presence of lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla representing Muhammad Zahid and lawyer N. Ganeson representing Mohamed Azmin.

Also present were senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan representing the respondents, namely Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, former Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang and the Malaysian Government.

Mohamed Azmin and Muhammad Zahid filed the application separately on Aug 15 and 5 last year. Read more →