Day: May 2, 2017

Tahfiz school ignores angry netizens over student’s death

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 ― A Johor religious school said it did not have to entertain public outrage on the internet over a student’s beating by an assistant warden that allegedly resulted in the amputation of his legs and death.

The management of Madrasah Tahfiz Al-Jauhar (MTAJ), a school based in Kota Tinggi that teaches memorisation of the Quran, also said the word “abuse” might not accurately depict the situation.

“MTAJ does not have to entertain netizens who are too full of suspicion because 97 per cent of them have never dealt with MTAJ and are only talking and writing based on perceptions and sentiments that have been played up,” MTAJ management said on its Facebook page yesterday.

Screenshot of the Faceook Post made by the Madrasah Tahfiz Al-Jauhar (MTAJ.)

“MTAJ will take all suggestions into account for further action. MTAJ only needs to apologise to netizens for our inability to answer all questions,” it added. Read more →

Malaysians demand chess tournament director quit

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Source: FMT News

This follows director’s decision that knee-length dress of a 12-year-old girl was too ‘seductive’ for national level competition last month. Pic from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: Many are calling for the resignation of a chess tournament director after he allegedly told a 12-year-old participant that her dress was “improper”.

According to The Star, pictures said to be of Sophian A Yusof are making the rounds on social media, accompanied by angry messages telling him to resign.

Checks found one such picture, which claimed Sophian is also the assistant secretary for the Malaysian Chess Federation.

The picture’s caption read: “He should be removed from his post as assistant secretary in the Malaysian Chess Federation. He is an embarrassment to the country.” Read more →

Unequal treatment for non-Muslims, minorities, says US report

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Source: FMT News

The annual religious freedom report notes the ways in which dissent is handled by Malaysian authorities and the restrictions on religious freedom, while offering suggestions on how the US government should handle this. Pic from FMT News.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is prioritising the Malay Muslim identity, often to the disadvantage of religious and ethnic minorities, says the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 2017 report.

Certain systems in place and trends in the country have tended to erode the notion of a secular state and the constitution as the supreme law in Malaysia, it says.

“The Malaysian government actively restricts freedom of expression and punishes those who criticise it, including online,” it says, adding that due to these and other restrictions and unfair actions, the USCIRF has again placed Malaysia on its Tier 2, where it has been since 2014. Read more →