Day: July 27, 2017

Sisters in Islam hails judgment against NRD as Islamic

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

PETALING JAYA: Vocal Muslim women’s rights group Sisters in Islam (SIS) today hailed the Court of Appeal’s judgment against the National Registration Department (NRD) in allowing a child born out of wedlock to take up the father’s name, saying it was a just decision conforming to the Quranic spirit.

SIS quoted a verse from the Quran, “Call them by (the names of) their fathers: that is more just in the eyes of God” (33:5), adding that the judgment by Justice Abdul Rahman Sebli and two other members of the bench was fulfilling one of the shariah’s goals, the protection of life.

“While this (verse) is understood to refer to adopted children, it is not impossible to extend the spirit of the verse to recognise the biological fathers of children conceived or born out of wedlock,” the group said in a statement. Read more →

Many in disbelief that Malaysia’s cops rated best in Asean

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

PETALING JAYA: Many are in disbelief that the Malaysian police force has been rated the best in Asean, as recently revealed by an international body.

Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen said the ranking was nothing to shout about considering that the yardstick was the police forces of other Asean countries.

“I would certainly question that recognition, and I think that you are not comparing yourself with the standard you aspire to be,” Paulsen told FMT.

He also said it was hard to believe that Malaysia was rated higher than its neighbour, Singapore. Read more →

Recognition of illegitimate child’s rights timely, says lawyer

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

Goh Sui Lin- pic drawn from FMT News

PETALING JAYA: A child advocate has lauded the Court of Appeal’s ruling in recognising the legal rights of an illegitimate child.

Lawyer Goh Sui Lin said the ruling was also in line with the Convention of Rights of the Child which Malaysia had ratified.

“One of the objectives of the international agreement is that any decision that is taken must be in the best interests of the child,” she told FMT.

Goh, who is also the Kuala Lumpur Bar committee chairman, said the ruling also recognised that no child should be discriminated against, based on race, religion or gender. Read more →

‘Ban on G25 book utterly ridiculous’

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

PETALING JAYA: Banning a book that aims to counter extreme and bigoted views of Islam is proof that the government fears a different and moderate interpretation of the religion.

This was the opinion of Chandra Muzaffar, one of the contributors to the book titled “Breaking the Silence: Voices of Moderation – Islam in a Constitutional Democracy”.

The book was authored by G25, a group of 25 prominent Malays. According to the government, it was banned because it was deemed prejudicial to public order. Read more →

Bebas tells NRD to heed court ruling on illegitimate children

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

PETALING JAYA: Civil rights group Bebas says the National Registration Department (NRD) must heed the Court of Appeal’s landmark ruling today that a child born out of wedlock can take on his or her father’s name in official documents.

In a statement today, it urged the NRD not to appeal the case to the Federal Court but to allow all Muslim children to bear their father’s name in such documents.

It said children whose names were given as “bin/binti Abdullah” prior to today’s judgment should also be allowed to change their names to reflect the decision. Read more →

NRD, government seek to challenge landmark ruling on ‘out-of-wedlock children’ case

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: The Malay Mail Online 

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — The National Registration Department (NRD) and government have filed for a leave application against the appellate court’s decision to allow a Muslim child conceived out of wedlock to bear the father’s name.

Lawyer Nizam Bashir, who represented the seven-year-old and his parents, told news portal Malaysiakini that the government and the NRD had filed the application for leave.

“That is where the case stands now. Let us see how it goes,” Nizam was quoted as saying. Read more →

Drug trafficking in Pahang on the rise

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: Astro Awani 

The number of arrests due to drug trafficking in Pahang is on the rise with an increase of 37 cases or six per cent in the first six months of 2017 from 630 cases during the corresponding period last year.

Pahang police chief Datuk Rosli Ab Rahman said on the other hand, the number of drug possession in the first half had also increased by three per cent, namely 1,394 cases compared to 1,358 cases during the same period last year.

“A total of 37 people were picked up under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985 for the first six months of this year compared to 23 people during the same period last year,” he said here today. Read more →

No basis for Zahid’s best police in Asean comment, say lawyers

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

PETALING JAYA: Human rights lawyers have expressed their disbelief over Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement yesterday, that an international body had rated the Malaysian police force as the best in Asean.

“Can Zahid tell us which so-called international body said this? (It’s) quite hard to believe,” lawyer Latheefa Koya said in a text message to FMT today.

Zahid, who is also the home minister, did not name the international body which had given the rating, or furnish any other details to back the statement he made at the “Addressing Perception on Safety and Security” forum yesterday. Read more →

NRD has no right to add ‘Abdullah’ to Muslim illegitimate child, says court

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News

Judgment says the NRD director-general had overstepped his powers in relying on a 1981 fatwa. Pic drawn from FMT News.

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal said the National Registration Department (NRD) had acted outside its powers when it used the surname “Abdullah” to register a Muslim child born out of wedlock, against the mother’s wish to use the father’s name.

In a written judgment, delivered two months after the court ruled in favour of the parents of the child, it also questioned the practice of adding the surname “bin Abdullah” to such children.

“We believe Islam does not condone such open and public humiliation of an innocent child,” wrote Justice Abdul Rahman Sebli, one of the three members of the bench, in the 28-page judgment issued two days ago.

Other members of the bench were Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Zaleha Yusof. Read more →

Zahid: Malaysia confident of attaining Tier One in fight against human trafficking

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: Astro Awani 

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is positive of attaining the Tier One by complying fully with the minimum standards to curb human trafficking crimes, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

According to the United States annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report released by the United States State Department on June 27, Malaysia has upgraded to Tier Two as a country that did not fully meet the minimum standards of the United States Human Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000 but made vital efforts to bring itself to compliance with the standards. Read more →