Abdullah Says Jeanne And Him Compatible

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says he has chosen Jeanne Abdullah as his new life partner as they are compatible and is confident that she will take good care of him.
However, he confesses that his love for his late wife Datin Seri Endon Mahmood is for eternity.
"My affection and love for Kak Endon remains strong. I believe God has created in our hearts many spaces for different people that we can love as much.
"We can love our mother, daughter, wife, grandchildren, sisters but we cannot compare the love for our mother with the love for our wife. Jeanne also is a love... that's God's will," he told a packed press conference after opening the Small and Medium Enterprise Convention here today.
About 80 journalists including from foreign new agencies were at the function to obtain a statement from the Prime Minister on his coming marriage to Jeanne after an announcement on this was made by his office this morning.
Following are the Prime Minister's answers to the questions at the press conference:

Q : This morning we received the good news from Datuk Seri. Can Datuk Seri elaborate on your marriage this Saturday?

A : Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), I am happy and grateful to Allah that my choice (of wife) has received the blessings of my children and siblings...hopefully the day will come, Insya-Allah (God willing).

Q : Why on Saturday?

A : It's a holiday...easy for people to come.

Q : Where do you intend to go for your honeymoon?

A : There's no plan yet, have to discuss with the person concerned.

Q : When did you first meet your future wife?

A : I've known her a long time as she is Endon's (late wife) sister-in-law.

Q : When did you propose?

A : I wish I can remember when it was, but I can't remember.

Q : Can Datuk Seri tell us a bit about your future wife?

A : She can take care of me, can be my companion.

Q : Why it took you so long to announce because before this you said it was just a rumour?

A : All the dates mentioned were wrong... that's why I said it was just a rumour. It took some time... I needed to consult my children, needed to find the time, I was too busy going here and there.

Q : Will there be a bersanding ceremony?

A : No... old people getting married.

Q : Will there be a bersanding or reception for the rakyat (people)?

A : No decision yet... many more people to meet....

Q : Can you tell us about the character of your future wife?

A : Firstly, she was humble and friendly with visitors to our residence when Kak Endon was around. She would be the one welcoming and attending to our many friends and other visitors, including foreigners and government officials, because there were meetings held at the residence.

Jeanne would also organise the receptions, big and small, finding the caterer, planning the menu and table arrangement, and she did it well. She has good qualities and can easily interact with people.

Q : How long have you known her?

A : Long enough... about 20 years.

Q : The courtship, Datuk Seri?

A : (Laughing) only recently... less than a year.

Q : How about the wedding gifts?

A : None... very simple (wedding)... this is not our first marriage... no need for so many gifts.

Q : How was Nori's (daughter) response?

A : She accepted it... if she didn't, it would not happen.

Q : So your family knows Jeanne well?

A : Of course... actually she's part of the family... she was Kak Endon's sister-in-law, married to her brother but they divorced over 15 years ago... long time already.

Q : Did Kak Endon love Jeanne?

A : Yes, she did... otherwise, Kak Endon would not have invited her to work at our home... gave the responsibility to her.

Q : Is is true as some people say that it (the marriage to Jeanne) was the stated wish of Kak Endon?

A : She did not say it.

Q : Requested or recommended it?

A : She didn't either.

Q : How is the ceremony going to be held? Moderately?

A : Very moderate... the first one is big, the second small... third, fourth smaller still... (but) no third or fourth... stop at two.

Q : Do you plan to go on holiday after your wedding?

A : There's no plan yet... there's an official trip abroad... will be bringing (Jeanne) along... what's the use of having a companion if you don't bring her along... that also (the press) want to ask?

Q : How about the people... will there be a reception for them?

A : It'll be as usual after this... will be visiting several places ... Sabah, Sarawak... can bring her along to meet the people. I'm not asking the people to hold a big kenduri (feast) when we meet them. If the programmes are suitable, she'll be there too.

Q : Have you ordered the wedding ring?

A : Yes... it's already late now.

Q : Now that you have another woman in your life... how about your love for Kak Endon?

A : My affection and love for Endon remain strong. I believe that God has created in our hearts many spaces for different people that we can love as much.

When we are talking about women, we can love our mother, our wife, but we cannot compare the love for our mother with the love for your wife, and Jeanne is also a love... that's God's will.

Endon's pictures are the reminders of her... but it's alright if hers (Jeanne's) are also included.

Q: What do you call her? Darling, sayang? (Laughter from the floor).

A: You will all know what I call her after the marriage.

Q: What is Datuk Seri's hope from the people?

A: I hope they will pray for our happiness because a happier prime minister can do a lot of good work (laughter and clapping from the floor).

Q: Will your life be more meaningful?

A: How can it not be meaningful? What kind of question is that? More meaningful... yes, more meaningful.

Q: How many guests will be at the wedding?

A: I don't know.. .but it's only for close relatives.

tunku : by the way, pak lah said jeanne is a french name, so it has to pronounce "jan" not "jin".i have not seen pak lah happy at a press conference like he was today, the man was blushing all the way, anyway i congratulates him again.

Abdullah to remarry on Saturday(9/6/07)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has announced he will marry Jeanne Abdullah, 53, in a private ceremony in Seri Perdana on Saturday, June 9.
Jeanne was born in Kuala Lumpur on July 29, 1953, and is the eldest of four children, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
She was educated at Sekolah Menengah Assunta, Petaling Jaya, and has had wide experience in management roles with several leading hotels in Malaysia, including the KL Hilton and Pan Pacific Hotel.
Abdullah's wife Datin Seri Endon Mahmood passed away on Oct 20, 2005 after a two-year battle against breast cancer.
Rumours escalated recently that Abdullah, whose first wife Endon Mahmood succumbed to cancer on October 2005, was to remarry. But he had refuted the claims as rumours on two occasions.

Only close relatives will attend the akad nikah ceremony, according to a statement from the Prime Minsiter’s office.
It also said Kuala Lumpur-born Jeanne is the eldest of four siblings. Born on 29 July, 1953, she was educated at the Assunta secondary school in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
She has two daughters - Nadiah and Nadene - from her first marriage.
She was formerly supervisor of the official deputy premier’s official residence and the manager of the Sri Perdana complex.(both during pak lah)
Some bloggers had correctly identified Jeanne Abdullah, who was born Jeanne Danker, although there was some confusion over a Singapore-based VJ of a similar name.

tunku : so all these while the rumours were true and he tried to deny it so many times, remember when he answered reporter's question on his marriage, he said three times, RUMOURS,RUMOURS,RUMOURS.And they had knew each other for years now.according to a source Jeanne used to be married to Osman Mahmud, Kak Endon’s brother, so this makes Jean her sister-in-law.
anyway congratulation pak lah , hope with a new wife you will lead the country well.hopefully you won't go for a long honeymoon.



ON MARCH 6,2007
Pak Lah quizzed on marriage rumours
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was today posed with an unexpected question, which had him blushing.
Amid fielding queries on the recent high-profile corruption scandals and dismal performance of the stock market, a journalist took him by surprise when he asked about the rumours of Abdullah having remarried.
Before dropping the question at a packed press conference in Kuala Lumpur, the journalist from an English daily first requested that Abdullah not get angry with what he was about to be asked.
“What he (the journalist) is going to ask will upset me, that is why he is telling me this,” responded the premier with a smile.
The question was then popped: “There are many rumours on the Internet that you have remarried. Is this true?”

Abdullah and those present burst out laughing. The premier, who looked rather embarrassed by the question, replied: “These are just rumors, just rumours.”
However, the journalist did not let up.
When he pressed the premier on the veracity of these rumours, Abdullah responded: “These are rumours, rumours-lah, rumours, rumours, okay?”
One last try
At this point, another journalist asked about the talks between Proton and Volkswagen and the premier was briefly distracted from the marriage issue.
After this, Abdullah’s gaze fell on the earlier journalist and sensing that he was about to ask another question, the premier had everybody in stitches when he quipped:
“Apa pulak nak tanya lagi pasal kahwin ini?” (What more do you want to ask about the marriage?).
But this did not deter the journalist from trying his luck for one last time: “So these are just rumours?”
“Rumours, rumours, these are just rumours,” Abdullah replied again.
Also present at the press conference were Bank Negara governor Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcob and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Effendi Norwawi.
There have been long-standing rumours that Abdullah, whose wife Endon Mahmood passed away on October 2005 following a protracted bout with cancer, has been bitten by the love bug again.
According to Internet postings, the 68-year-old premier is said to be romantically-linked to Jean Danker, the ex-wife of Endon’s brother Osman.

Scheming at Selangor land office

KUALA LANGAT: Some land office employees are hiding applications for land, with the aim of grabbing prime land for themselves.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohammad Khir Toyo said the matter came to light when aggrieved parties submitted complaint letters, complete with evidence, to him.
“We have learnt that such cases occurred in Hulu Selangor and Kuala Langat where certain employees well versed in land matters hid the original applications.
“After some months they submit a new application with names of family members to get the same plot of land,” he said at a morning gathering with civil servants here yesterday.
An incensed Dr Khir said the culprits would be sacked if three complaints were made against them.
He told civil servants gathered at the Dewan Seri Jugra in Telok Datok that, in Dubai, if an officer received three complaints against him, he would be sacked.
“If I were to do this here, there might be no one left (in the government departments),” he said.
However, Dr Khir said he wanted those involved in such irresponsible acts to repent.
Meanwhile, he said the recent salary increase for civil servants was generous and he wanted all civil servants in Selangor to improve the delivery system and be transparent.
“We do want civil servants who look for solutions instead of sweeping things under the carpet. Discard the tidak apa attitude,” he said.
Dr Khir also advised Selangor assemblymen to submit infrastructure requirements as the state planned to allocate RM10mil for each constituency.
“We also want the assemblymen to reach out to the community and identify those who are living below the poverty line so we can offer them aid,” he said.


tunku : it's not happening in selangor only, it's everywhere.these culprits are in every government department.they should not be given any chances, at least this will remind others not to do the same thing in future. sometimes a company submit their superb proposal to the local government and rejected, but after sometimes you can see some party are doing the same project, it means that they even hijack your proposal to use for themselves or sell them.

Opposition to rule Penang?

Opposition plots ‘Fortress Penang’ plan
The days of splitting the opposition vote may be over in Penang, based on hard lessons learnt in the 2004 general election.
The DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat lost to Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat and state seats of Bagan Dalam, Bukit Tambun and Sungai Pinang.
This time around, the opposition parties plan to work closely to ensure straight fights with the BN.
PKR Penang chairperson Zahrain Mohamad Hashim said his party, DAP and PAS are involved in serious talks on seat allocations throughout Malaysia to ensure that “we don't contest against each other”.
"We should come up with an amicable solution soon. The most imperative is for all straight fights between an united opposition front and BN," he told malaysiakini.
Penang has 13 parliamentary and 40 state seats.
PKR won only the Permatang Pauh federal seat through the party president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, although it contested five parliamentary and 16 state seats in 2004.
Zahrain said the party is interested in maintaining its presence, especially if the election is held after April next year and de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is free to contest in Penang as he plans.
"All parties have agreed in principal that Anwar will lead an united opposition front in the next general election. It's a boost to PKR to fare better than 2004," he said.
Penang DAP secretary Danny Law Heng Kiang said the party will contest more than 20 state seats, with its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng widely tipped to be among candidates.
In 2004, DAP won the Bagan, Bukit Mertajam, Bukit Mertajam, Bukit Gelugor and Tanjong parliamentary seats and the Sungai Puyu state constituency.
Law said the previous three-cornered fights with PKR occurred because of several former Penang DAP leaders in PKR - however, they are no longer there.
He said the opposition front is mature enough to be able to reach consensus on seat negotiations.
"We have never had disagreement with PAS and only minor problems with PKR that can be resolved easily," he said.
Law said the party with the best chance to win a particular seat would field the candidate and that the opposition front would back the person.
Speculation is growing over a snap election being called even this year, although the government’s mandate does not expire until 2009.

tunku : so it seems that dap agrees with pas and pas agrees with dap as quoted by penang dap secretary. so i hope to see in this coming election pas championing dap's principle and dap championing pas's principle.then only we will believe you.anwar should be the de facto leader of the opposition front as the leaders of dap and pas han no confidence in themselves, that's why they want anwar(an ex-convict) to lead. it's quite interesting to see as penang is our pm's state.i want to challenge anwar to fight with pak lah at kepala batas if he has guts and also if he is eligible to stand in the election.

Selangor To Extend LRT Network To Klang, Kajang & Rawang

SHAH ALAM, June 5 (Bernama) -- Selangor's prime urban areas will enjoy light rail transit (LRT) services within five years as the country's first developed state vies to rival Singapore in having the region's best public transportation system.
The LRT line will form a loop from Wilayah Persekutuan to Klang and straight on to Puchong, Bukit Jalil, Kajang, Ampang, Ulu Klang and Rawang, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said today.
The state government, he told Bernama, has allocated around RM12 billion to enhance the LRT system under the Ninth Malaysia Plan by way of Private Finance Initiatives.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced last August that the LRT line from Kelana Jaya will be extended to Subang Jaya and USJ, while the Sri Petaling line will cover Puchong, in addition to a new line to Damansara.
Mohamad Khir told Bernama in an interview here that his government intends to extend the line from Kelana Jaya to Klang as well and from there to link up with Puchong.
While having new roads and highways will not necessarily improve traffic congestion in urban and suburban areas, he is confident that enhancing the LRT services offers a more effective solution.
"That's why we cannot keep building roads and highways in the Klang Valley. In the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor alone, every month there are 35,000 new cars on the road. Even squatters or low-cost house residents are asking for two parking lots each," he said.
"While the number of motorcycles is now reducing tremendously, the number of cars is increasing daily. So, the public needs to be given the best choice of public transport.
"It is either you take your own car or take the best public transportation. We cannot force the public to choose the worst, but we can force the public to choose the best.
"It will also have less political impact," he added in jest.
As much as the state wants to improve its public transportation, Mohamad Khir said, Selangor also wishes to be fully broadband-enabled by 2008, and it has already started with the Klang Valley Broadband Push Programme.
He said Energy, Water and Communication Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission have agreed to help with the initiative.
"Just as with the transport system, we are going to compare Klang Valley's ICT with Singapore, apple-to-apple. That is our aim," he said.
The state has already embarked on a few private-initiative ICT towns, such as that being developed by I-Bhd.
"I understand that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has decided to widen the concept of Cyberjaya.
"So any factory or industrial area that has multimedia (credentials) will be awarded special licences and they will get incentives," he said.
Mohamad Khir said Malaysia as a whole cannot be compared with Singapore's steady technology advances and rapid transportation, "but for Klang Valley, we can compare with Singapore apple-to-apple within five years if we can provide more in terms of ICT and public transportation system."

tunku : bravo to khir toyo.hope it would realize soon.it will really make a difference with the traffic congestion.hope that the lrt will be provided till bangi,putrajaya,not till kajang only.hope one day every city in malaysia will have facilities like this.

Media Expose' On Faults Good For People, Says Zam

LANGKAWI, June 5 (Bernama) -- Media expose' on faults at government buildings and public property as a result of the openness of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government, is good for the people, said Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin.
He said such expose' would ensure the concerned parties would be "kept on their toes" and did their work properly.
He also believed that the exposures would enable public complaints on faulty construction and sloppy maintenance to be swiftly attended.
"I hope all parties will learn from the expose' made by the media and view it as something positive in the effort to render the best service for the people," he told reporters after visiting the Langkawi FM radio station here today.
Zainuddin said the prime minister's openness and transparency also should not be seen from the political perspective only, but from all angles to ensure public interests were protected.

tunku : yes, media expose on faults indeed very good for the people but also expose of corrupt leaders,their malpractice ect. zam was saying that the media exposes are mainly because of the openness of pak lah, does this means that zam is saying that, the previous prime ministers didn't allow the media to expose anything? is it true that pak lah is really open?it's all for us to explore the situation.

Prosecutors replaced to ensure fair murder trial

The Attorney General replaced the prosecutors ahead of a closely watched murder trial because he wanted to ensure a fair trial.
The trial of political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, was to begin on Monday.
But when court opened, the prosecution immediately asked for a delay, saying they had only been handed the case the day before.
AG Abdul Gani Patail said he installed the new team to ensure a "fair trial" for all parties, according to a report in the New Straits Times.
Abdul Gani declined to elaborate, the report said.
"My interest is to ensure that the public knows exactly what happened and how the police investigated the case," he was quoted saying.
Abdul Gani could not be immediately reached to comment on the report.
The newly-assigned lead prosecutor, Tun Majid Tun Hamzah, told the High Court he did not know why he had suddenly been handed the file of more than 100 investigation reports.
"I was only informed of this yesterday in the evening when I was on my way home," he said, asking for one month to prepare.
"It's beyond me. I simply cannot prosecute this case at such short notice," he said.
Two-week postponement
The judge agreed to a two-week postponement. The trial is now to begin on June 18.
Analysts view the case as a test of Malaysia's judicial and political integrity.
Abdul Razak is charged with abetting the murder of his former lover, Altantuya Shaariibuu, 28.
She was killed last October and her body blown up in a jungle clearing in Shah Alam district, southwest of Kuala Lumpur.
Two police officers are charged with the murder itself. They are members of a police unit that guards the country's top leaders, including the prime minister and his deputy.
All three accused face the death penalty if convicted.
Najib, who is also the defence minister, has vehemently denied any involvement in the case.
- AFP

It's Bahasa Malaysia, not Bahasa Melayu

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has changed the way it refers to its national language in a bid to promote unity in the multiracial country, the deputy prime minister said Monday.
The national language will be referred to as Bahasa Malaysia, the Malaysian language, instead of Bahasa Melayu, the Malay language.
"We do not want this to become a huge polemic. Our decision is to ensure that the national language belongs to everyone," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters.
The decision to call it the Malaysian language comes amid rising tensions among minority groups who feel their rights have been undermined.
Malays make up 60 per cent of the population of about 27 million, compared to 26 per cent ethnic Chinese and eight per cent ethnic Indians.
"What is important is that we know the national language is the Malay language but we wanted the national language to belong to all Malaysians regardless of race or ethnicity," Najib said.
This will enhance "unity, usage, integration and togetherness," he said.
The Star newspaper on Monday quoted Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin as saying all ministries, public universities and the media have been directed to use the term "Bahasa Malaysia."
Zainuddin said the term "Bahasa Malaysia" was introduced to develop a Malaysian identity after the country achieved independence in 1957.
Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim changed the term in 1986 to "Bahasa Melayu" when he was education minister.
"Now, we feel we should go back to the original term," Zainuddin said in The Star.
The change would also remove a psychological barrier for both Malays and non-Malays, he added.
"The Malays, for example, must not see Bahasa Malaysia as a language used (solely) for themselves. Similarly, non-Malays would also not see the language as a Malay language but a language that belongs to them," Zainuddin was quoted as saying.

tunku : i guess the government intention is good here, so please stop all type of polemics.The government really hopes that all malaysian UNITES under one language. Just look like indonesia, i am surprised that the chinese there speak indonesian language among themselves(at home).
on the separate issue, anwar again during his time in government did some stupid changes, one of them is bahasa baku. then he changed bahasa malaysia to bahasa melayu, and today he's singing different tune.

Dr Chan Dismisses Rumour MCA Coming To Sarawak

KUCHING, June 4 (Bernama) - Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam Monday dismissed rumours that the MCA would spread its wings to Sarawak soon.
"They (MCA leaders) are not so irresponsible and would not secretly do this," said Dr Chan who is also Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister.
"It's just a rumour, especially when the parliamentary election is coming," he told reporters after a flag-raising ceremony to mark SUPP's 48th anniversary held at the party headquarters here Monday.
Recently, local Chinese dailies widely reported that MCA would be spreading its wings to Sarawak through a Chinese clan association.
On UMNO, Dr Chan said the group that claimed to be promoting the party and called themselves the Jawatankuasa Penaja UMNO Negeri Sarawak (JPUNS) had not registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
He said UMNO headquarters in Kuala Lumpur had clarified to the state Barisan Nasional (BN) that the Umno promoters in Sarawak had yet to receive any "green light" to set up branches here.
"The group has not registered with ROS. It's illegal. Now, the villagers are angry and have removed the UMNO flags. They are not welcome," he said.
UMNO flags had started appearing in the state since the JPUNS opened its office here last Sept and now there are about 70 UMNO branches throughout Sarawak with the biggest in Kuching.
When asked about independent Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa's application to join SUPP, Dr Chan said the party's central working committee (CWC) would decide on the matter at its next meeting scheduled within the next weeks.
Last month, Dr Chan said that Dr Rayong had submitted his application to join SUPP during the recent State Legislative Assembly sitting.
In the 2006 state election, Dr Rayong defeated SUPP candidate Jonathan Krai Pilo by a slim majority of 426 votes in a straight fight.


tunku : first it was heard that umno is coming to sarawak, now mca, maybe after this we'll hear gerakan, mic will come to sarawak. Why not ? if keadilan,dap,pkr can enter sarawak why not others? after all george chan(who is hated by chinese nowadays is sarawak) said arrogantly that umno is not welcome in sarawak.what about supp, supp now is not welcome by their own people any longer. they had lost 9 seats to dap/pkr.let see what will happen in the general election.

Teacher pleads guilty to molesting nine-year-old student

KUALA LUMPUR: A jawi teacher pleaded guilty in a magistrate's court here to molesting a nine-year-old pupil in a religious school classroom last year.
Husin Rohimi, 36, from Kodiang in Kedah, was accused of committing the offence at a Year Two classroom of a school here at 10.30am on Nov 10.
He was charged under Section 354 of the Penal Code, which provides for up to 10 years' jail or a fine or whipping or any two such punishments upon conviction.
The girl's mother had lodged a police report over the molestation on May 25 this year.
A prosecuting officer asked the court to set bail at RM6,000 in one surety and order that the accused would not get any closer to the victim or her family members.
Pleading for a lower bail, Husin said he was only earning RM979 per month from his job.
He said he had to support his three children.
"My youngest child is admitted at Instititut Jantung Negara, madam," he said adding that his wife was present in court to be his bailor.
Magistrate Azniza Mohd Ali granted him to be released on a RM4,000 bail in one surety and set July 23 for sentencing.

tunku : what on earth is happening to this world? a teacher is a very noble job but i guess the person is not noble person. a parent send their child to school, hope that the teacher will guide them and make them a better person, not to be molested.furthermore this is a religious school.I'm speechless.

Nik Aziz taken to task

PEKAN: Politicians from both sides of the divide have criticised the “lost soul” remark by PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said PAS was harping on an old issue which the Government had replied to many times.
“I don't know whether they can consider themselves relevant anymore if they continue to harp on old issues,” he told reporters after presenting prizes to winners of Datuk Seri Najib Trophy golf tournament held in conjunction with the Pekan Fest here.
On Saturday, Nik Aziz was quoted as saying that Malays who voted for non-Islamic parties were lost (souls).
Najib said Umno had always ensured that the sanctity of Islam continued to be protected and promoted at the best level.
An encouraging word: Najib talking to the job seekers at an exhibition held during Pekan Fest on Sunday.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said he was sad over such a statement, adding that while Nik Aziz was entitled to his own view, it was time to put behind racial and religious aspects and work towards achieving national unity.
“Due to such thinking, DAP finds it hard to cooperate with PAS as such sentiments are unhealthy in a multiracial country,'' he said noting that there were non-Muslims who voted for Islamic parties.
MCA secretary-general Datuk Ong Ka Chuan said he was disappointed that a state leader could make comments that could hamper nation building.
“I am sure Nik Aziz receives votes from all races, and being the Kelantan Mentri Besar, he should be more cautious when making statements that could hurt the feelings of people of different faiths,” he said.
MIC vice-president Datuk S. Veerasingam said Malaysia was an example of people of different faiths living in peace and harmony and such remarks could jeopardise the peace and harmony in the country.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat information chief Tian Chua said that Nik Aziz was probably taking a theological point of view which could not be applied in the country's political situation.

tunku : if you want to see the pas true colours, listen them during their private meeting or their general assembly.

Altantuya trial postponed, family sues govt and accused

PETALING JAYA: The Shah Alam High Court has postponed the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial to June 18 to allow the new prosecution team time to prepare its case.
In the meantime, her family has filed an RM100mil civil suit against the Government of Malaysia as well as the three defendants in her murder trial which began Monday.
The three include policemen Cif Inspektor Azilah Hadri, 31, and Koperal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, who are charged with committing the murder in Mukim Bukit Raja, Selangor, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.
The third is political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, who is accused of abetting the two Unit Tindakan Khas (special action force) personnel, allegedly committed his offence at the Bangunan Getah Asli in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, between 9.54am and 11.05am on Oct 18 last year.
The trial has garnered much attention in local and foreign media because of Abdul Razak's policital connections as well as the gruesome manner in which the 28-year-old Altantuya was killed. The Monggolian beauty was apparently blown up with explosives after having been shot dead.
Justice Mohd Zaki Md Yasin is presiding over the case. The prosecutors are head of the Civil Division in the Attorney-General's Chambers Tun Majid Tun Hamzah and Deputy Public Prosecutor M. Kurup. Veteran lawyer Karpal Singh is holding a watching brief for Altantuya’s family.

Proton : Talks with VW still on

Talks Still On With Volkswagen, General Motors On Proton, Says Khazanah

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 (Bernama) -- Volkswagen AG is still talking to national investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd on a possible strategic alliance with Proton, as is General Motors, but Khazanah Nasional managing director Datuk Azman Mokhtar was coy today on whether equity participation is still on the table.
He explained that when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday that VW was not interested in Proton's offer of an equity deal, he was in fact referring to his invitation to the German car maker to talk to him directly.
However, VW has continued to have talks with Khazanah, Azman said. "All the reported interested parties including Volkswagen and General Motors, except for Peugeot who have publicly stepped out of the equation, remain in the picture, notwithstanding some of the statements that may have been made earlier.
"The Prime Minister, I believe, was referring to the fact that Volkswagen had indicated they wanted a meeting from April, so I think he was still waiting (for feedback from Volkswagen by end of March).
"We briefed the Prime Minister today to explain that talks are indeed ongoing and meetings will be set fairly soon," he told reporters at the company's annual review media briefing here.

tunku : pak lah said last week that talks with VW is off for good and proton should look for other parties, but denied by Khazanah later.Even VW said in their latest statement that the talks is still on.Azman ( Khazanah ) said pak lah was unaware and they just briefed him after he made the statement.just look at the scenario, where the pm does not know anything and when reporter asks question, gives the wrong answers.what kind of pm we have.pak lah should sack the md of proton who doest not updates him or md of khazanah.may be these md's report to the man behind the scene and feels that there are no use to brief the pm.god knows best.

Strategic Partner For Proton Must Accept The Ground Rules - Najib

PEKAN, June 1 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today any potential strategic partner for Proton must appreciate the ground rules involved.
The partner must also abide by the parameters that have been set, he added, reminding that as a vital national company it will never be allowed to fall into foreign control.
"We are seeking a strategic partner to have a firm collaboration of the strengths of both Proton and the partner, and we believe this will enable Proton to become more competitive.
"(Such a collaboration) must be in line with our thinking and our position, otherwise there cannot be an agreement.
"What this means is that we will not simply hand over Proton, we have our stand that a prospective strategic partner must accept," he told reporters after opening Expo ATM 2007 in conjunction with Pekan Fest here.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Volkswagen AG had lost interest in having a strategic partnership in terms of equity with Proton, but the car maker's controlling shareholder, Khazanah Nasional, explained today that talks are ongoing with VW and General Motors.
Najib said Proton must take steps to ensure that it re-emerges as a successful company.
"We don't want to see it wallowing in debt even though the environment and market have become more competitive," he stressed. "I believe Proton is already making efforts to to recover."

Malaysia’s political and judicial systems go on trial with three accused murderers

Tomorrow in a Malaysian courtroom, three men will go on trial – and perhaps Malaysia’s legal and political systems as well – in the spectacular murder of a 28-year-old Mongolian woman, fragments of whose gruesomely maimed body were found last October in the jungle near the suburban city of Shah Alam.
On trial in a Shah Alam High Courtroom over the next 26 days, are Abdul Razak Baginda, 46, once the influential head of a well-connected political think-tank and a close friend of Najib Abdul Razak, the deputy prime minister; and Azilah Hadri, 31, and Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, who were part of an elite unit under Najib’s jurisdiction that guards Malaysia’s top leaders. The two officers are accused of abducting Altantuya Shaariibuu on Razak Baginda’s orders and killing her.
Some 132 names are on the witness list. But none of them is Najib Abdul Razak, although one of his best friends and two of his top employees are named as suspects. Nor, apparently, has he been questioned in the case despite the fact that it would be extremely unusual for two of his employees to take orders from a private citizen –
Abdul Razak Baginda -- to pick up the woman. The two major papers -- the New Straits Times, controlled by the United Malays National Organisation, and the Star, controlled by the Malaysian Chinese Association, the two leading parties in the Barisan Nasional, or national ruling coalition, have largely left alone any mention of Najib's name.

In an affidavit filed in October, Abdul Razak Baginda acknowledged that he had carried on a seven-month romance with Shaariibuu across the globe – in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, France and Malaysia, and that he had given the woman US$10,000 on three separate occasions before the romance turned ugly and he sought to end it. The affidavit also directly implicated Azilah, the chief of Najib’s commando unit, who allegedly told Abdul Razak that he had killed numerous people and that he could “finish off the girl for him.” Azilah’s lawyer denies the officer had ever made that statement.
Shaariibuu, who has been variously described as a part-time model and a translator, was murdered between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20, according to police. When found, she had been shot twice and torn apart with hand grenades available only to Malaysia’s security forces. After two weeks in the jungle, the body had been reduced to bone fragments.
Subsequent reports said that Shaariibuu had had a child by Abdul Razak and that she had shown up in Kuala Lumpur demanding that the political analyst accept his responsibility as the father. After he refused to see her for several days, he allegedly agreed to meet her at his home, where she was shoved into a car by two men and a third member of the force – a 22-year-old woman lance corporal – who was also arrested but not charged.
The female corporal was never named in news stories by Malaysia’s government-friendly press and was released a week later. There is widespread speculation in Malaysia that she is the aide-de-camp and bodyguard to Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor.
However, the involvement of the elite police, who answer only to Najib, and the fact that Abdul Razak Baginda is one of his closest friends, has raised questions about whether the deputy prime minister ordered the bodyguards to do something about Shaariibuu. In his affidavit, Abdul Razak Baginda acknowledged that he had called contacts inside Najib’s office and asked for help.
It was at this point, Abdul Razak said, that Azilah offered his assistance. The affidavit doesn’t say he ever spoke to Najib. But later that night, Azilah called Abdul Razak and told him, "tonight encik (sir), you can sleep well," the affidavit said.
In any case, the affair has escalated into a full-blown political scandal, with former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, now an opposition leader, crisscrossing the country demanding answers to what happened. He made allegations of Najib’s involvement a central issue in a recent by-election in a Perak district, but the United Malays National Organization candidate survived. Opposition leaders have charged that the election was rife with voter irregularities.
“In my personal experience,” Anwar told a press conference at his home, “the (elite police) are there to protect the deputy prime minister and they work under our instructions. He (Najib) should at least be asked how is it a person assigned to you, to protect you and work under your instructions, can (allegedly) commit such a heinous crime.
"It is vital that whilst those who pulled the trigger are brought to justice, all those who are responsible for directing the killing must be made known," he said in a statement. “In fact, such persons bear greater responsibility for the crime."
It hasn’t helped that the case, first scheduled for March 2008, was accelerated over hundreds of others and moved to tomorrow’s trial date. Also, Abdul Razak Baginda was briefly freed on bail, almost unheard of in a capital murder case, before public outrage resulted in his being sent back to jail. The case has also been passed off to a different judge than the original, raising questions among critics.
It has been complicated by the arrival of Shaaribuu Setev, the dead woman’s father, who is the director of the National University of Mongolia’s Information and Educational Center. Last month he criticized Najib Tun Razak for avoiding all responsibility for the murder.
"I take note that Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak has denied...that he was in any manner related to my murdered daughter Altantuya," Shariibuu said in a statement. "But I would like to remind dear Mr. Najib and also the Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that the crime was committed by your security officers,” he said.
Najib has repeatedly denied any involvement in the case. Although Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has indicated his faith in his deputy, political analysts in Kuala Lumpur say it has damaged his political career. It remains to be seen whether the trial will contribute to that damage, or exonerate him.

tunku : i guess anwar speaks by his experience as when he was the deputy prime minister, how he control and abuse his power when he ordered the police to shut ummi hafilda and azizan's mouth,but that doesn't mean that najib is doing it too.anwar should shut up and wait the outcome of this court case, so does everyone.let the judiciary tell us what actually happened and why.

Pas party polls : Same old faces

Young Pas leaders have fended a strong bid by party conservatives to make a comeback in the party leadership.
Nasharuddin Mat Isa was reelected as PAS deputy president after a keen contest mounted by the party’s second most senior religious scholar and conservative, Harun Taib.
The incumbent scored convincing win 574 - 367 win against the first-time candidate for the post.
Harun was believed to be capable of toppling Nasharuddin, as those seen with religious scholar backgrounds had performed well in the Youth, women’s and divisional elections.
For the vice president seat Husam and Mat Sabu retain their seats while a new person Ahmad Awang joined in.Of course Hassan Ali is out as he lost the support earlier to contest.
Looks like the won't be any changes in Pas and they will always be extremist as what Nik Aziz had said earlier those who votes for non muslim candidate is considered sesat(lost).

Nik Aziz: Muslims should not back parties that are non-Islamic

KOTA BARU: Lost souls – that is how PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat describes Malays who vote for non-Islamic parties.
He urged them to return to the true path of Islam so that their religious direction could be corrected.
Closer look: Nik Aziz looking at sugi wood being displayed at a stall during the PAS muktamarin Kota Baru yesterday.
“Muslims should only vote parties whose political struggle is for Islam.
“Those who vote non-Islamic parties are sesat (lost).
“They should review their faith and throw their support behind Islam,” he said at a dinner he hosted for the media covering the party’s muktamar.
He was asked about the split among the Malay voters.
On PAS rejoining Barisan Nasional, Nik Aziz, who is Kelantan Mentri Besar, revealed that he was once asked to join Umno but rejected the offer.
“If Umno does away with its secularism and adopts Islam as its main political struggle then there is even no need for PAS to exist.
“Umno must embrace Islamist policies as the fundamentals of its political struggle.”
Nik Aziz, 76, who looked frail due to a heart ailment, said he had in mind a successor but would not name him yet.
“I have seen my successor. I cannot say it aloud as I am afraid others will be disappointed.”
PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa, state PAS secretary Nik Mohd Amar Abdullah and deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakop are seen as potential successors to Nik Aziz.
Nik Aziz said that for PAS to be further strengthened, it must be led by a combination of ulama and professionals.
At the muktamar, Kedah delegate Fakhrulrozi Mohd Zawawi called on PAS president (Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang) to address the perception that the party line was divided between ulamas and professionals.
He also proposed that PAS form a splinter political entity to help promote its struggle in the west coast.
He also wanted the party to disclose its financial status, including the purchase of an RM8mil building as its headquarters.

tunku : what say pkr and dap who is pas partners in opposition pact? umno still a party of tolerance.pas is always an extremist party and will remain the same.

Cut down on your roti canai intake.

PETALING JAYA: Following the painful raids against traders who overprice their food and drinks, most restaurants are sticking to their regular prices.
The difference, however, is that some restaurants may be dishing out smaller-sized roti canai as well as diluted Nescafe or Milo drinks.
Contrary to earlier complaints by restaurant operators that they would lose out following the government move to increase the price of flour, a random survey by The Star found that they would actually make a hefty profit if the price of roti canai goes up by 10sen a piece.
A 25kg sack of flour now cost RM32.15, up from RM28.40. Each sack is able to produce about 300 pieces of roti canai.
Original Kayu Nasi Kandar proprietor Buruhan Mohamad said that by increasing the price by 10sen apiece, the sellers could reap huge profits.
“Some are able to make up to 350 pieces of roti canai per sack.
“This means that the profit per sack can go up by RM35, which is more than the price of the sack of flour itself,” he said.
Commenting on the price of Nescafe, which went up on Friday, Buruhan said some restaurants were likely to reduce the content in each glass. The price of Milo will go up next month.
According to a distributor, a 6kg carton of Nescafe supplied to restaurants now costs RM333.60. The old price was RM314.40.
Buruhan said that to counter this, some restaurant proprietors might reduce the Nescafe and Milo content when mixing drinks.

tunku : the best thing is to stop eating roti canai or if you can't the cut down your roti canai intake.roti canai is not healthy food as it's very oily and can increase your cholestrol level tremendously.as for the price increase just cut down on it, and sooner or later when the demand is weak,the price will reduce or will remain the same.eat at home, as home cook is much healthier and cleaner.

Anwar's latest crap

Umno mungkin boleh diharamkan – Anwar Ibrahim
KOTA BHARU, 2 Jun
Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim bimbang Umno kemungkinan boleh diharamkan apabila membiarkan begitu banyak penyelewengan berlaku dalam pilihan raya di negara ini.
Beliau berkata, kemungkinan perkara tersebut berlaku tidak dapat ditolak memandangkan nasib seperti itu telah berlaku ke atas parti Thai Rak Thai di Thailand.
Parti itu didapati bersalah oleh Mahkamah Perlembagaan Thailand baru-baru ini kerana terbabit dengan penyelewengan pilihan raya di negara tersebut.
“Saya bimbang kemungkinan Umno juga boleh mengulangi nasib yang sama seperti dialami Thai Rak Thai kerana banyak berlaku penyelewengan dalam pengendalian pilihan raya di negara ini.
“Saya cukup bimbang perkara yang serupa boleh berlaku di sini,” katanya kepada pemberita

tunku : why you worry anwar if umno is declared illegal and being dissolve.you should be happy that you path is clear.this guy always full of craps.if you have any evidence,challenge umno in court,don't just talk or may be you have evidence but it's during your time in government.

Ink check: EC in move to safeguard against multiple voting

KUALA LUMPUR: The use of indelible ink to safeguard against multiple or phantom voting will be introduced at the next general election – if everything goes as planned by the Election Commission (EC).
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said the matter has been agreed to in principle, following requests by political parties and other groups.
He said the system would be subject to amendments to the Election (Conduct of
Election) Regulation 1981 and the understanding that the ink to be used would not create controversy.
The system provides for election officials to swipe an indelible ink on the thumb of the voter after he or she collects the ballot papers.
This means that the voter, once he or she comes out of the polling station, would be caught if he or she tries to vote again at another station.
Abdul Rashid said the EC had always held that the system was outdated although many countries practised it.
“But we will do it, nevertheless, if only to put the matter to rest.
“Otherwise, some parties will continue to capitalise and politicise this issue.
“We will adopt it, just so they will stop hounding us,” he told The Star.
Asked about the change of heart when the EC had previously rejected the proposal, Abdul Rashid clarified:
“I had never totally rejected the suggestion. It is just that, in this modern era, it does not look good. Our country is very progressive.
“But they (proponents of the system) are making such an issue of the matter and blaming the lack of it for the problem of phantom voters and impersonations.
“So, we say okay”.
Abdul Rashid said the EC had also considered the use of the biometric system but found it costly, as each reader would cost about RM60,000 and every voting stream would have to be equipped with it.
“With the number of streams that we have now, the cost will exceed RM30mil.
“For machines we will use only once in five years, that will be sheer waste,” he added.
Abdul Rashid said that another option was to get voters to put down their thumbprints against their names in the electoral roll.
However, that would be too cumbersome for election workers.


tunku : good move from the SPR but i think the biometric system still the best, what is RM30million, it can be use over and over again,not just for one election.i think to spend 30 million on a good course is nothing, you can see the government to cut down the expenses budget and spend more on the good of the nation. cut down your friendly golf games, spend 26k to bring durian(200) by helicopter from penang to langkawi for singapore's pm and pak lah to eat them.

Dadah: Adik timbalan menteri didakwa

KOTA KINABALU 1 Jun – Adik timbalan menteri dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Majistret hari ini atas tuduhan mengedar ganja dan syabu di Terminal Penerbangan Tambang Murah (LCCT), Tanjung Aru, di sini pada pukul 10 pagi, 20 Mei lalu.
Tertuduh, Mohd. Jusnaidi Omar, 36, penyelaras projek, dituduh mengedar 1,088 gram ganja di bawah Seksyen 39B(1)(c) Akta Dadah Berbahaya (ADB) 1952.
Dia turut dituduh memiliki tujuh peket syabu seberat 35 gram di bawah Seksyen 12(2) dibacakan bersama 39A(r) yang kedua-duanya di bawah akta yang sama.
Seksyen 39B(1)(c)ADB memperuntukkan hukuman gantung sampai mati manakala Seksyen 12(2) membawa hukuman maksimum lima tahun penjara dan sebatan 10 kali.
Majistret Intan Nurul Farina Zainal Abidin memerintahkan Mohd. Jusnaidi yang tidak diambil pengakuan ditahan reman mengikut Seksyen 259 Kanun Prosedur Jenayah sementara kes itu disebut semula pada 10 Ogos ini.
Sementara itu, isterinya, Nurul Ashikin Omar, 31, suri rumah, dituduh mengambil dadah jenis amphetamine dan methamphetamine di bawah Seksyen 5(1) akta yang sama.
Nurul Ashikin yang mengaku tidak bersalah dibenarkan ikat jamin sebanyak RM600 dengan dua orang penjamin sementara menunggu kes itu disebut pada 24 Ogos di Mahkamah Majistret di sini.
Sebelum ini, kedua-duanya ditahan reman selama 14 hari mengikut Seksyen 117 Kanun Prosedur Jenayah.
Terdahulunya, Timbalan Pendakwa Raya, Amir Hamzah Osman memohon agar mahkamah menyambung tempoh reman Mohd. Jusnaidi selama tiga bulan sementara menunggu laporan ujian kimia dan asid deoksiribonukleik (DNA).
Pasangan berkenaan diwakili oleh peguam bela, Hamid Ismail.

tunku : who's the deputy minister? the media keep the guessing game on. Is it wrong to mention the deputy minister name?if it's wrong then why have to say that the suspect is a brother of a deputy minister.well looking at the suspect "bin" which is Omar.The are two deputy ministers with "bin" Omar, they are Dato' Seri Mohd Shariff Hj Omar and Dato' Noh Bin Omar.

Islam Bashing: A Popular Sport

By Hasan Abdullah
Anti-Islam prejudice is not a new phenomenon, it has existed for centuries. As a matter of fact this cycle of disinformation gained momentum with the advent of Islam, when the Arabs accused Prophet Muhammad of being a ‘madman’, a ‘poet’ and a ‘soothsayer’; and warned others to stay away from him, otherwise they would fall for his “magic” and join his ranks. However, they failed to mention that this “magical” effect was owing to the teachings of the Prophet, that: new born girls are not to be buried alive, slaves are not to be treated with harshness, animals are not to be overloaded, only God is worthy of worship and not idols which themselves are created, women are not to be treated as sex objects and so on.
The same Anti-Islam prejudice lead Pope Urban II to “liberate” the holy land from the “barbaric” Muslims. Again, the Pope failed to state that the Christians living under the rule of these “barbaric” Muslims were better off than their counterpart living in Europe.
The situation is not too different today. This prejudice is still there, thriving, and perhaps more widespread than ever at every level – from politicians to the uneducated labour class. It has become rather fashionable to talk about “Islamic Fundamentalism”, “Militant Islam”, “Oppression of women”, “the Taliban”, “Osama bin Laden”, etc in gatherings and on other occasions. We find in the overwhelming majority of cases the same old baseless myths being repeated, with a bit of added spice.
There has been a coinage of terms such as “Islamists” and “Islamic Fundamentalists” and these terms are used whenever an opportunity exists. It is astonishing that the actions of a few individuals bring Islam under the spotlight. More generally if the person involved happens to be a Muslim then Islam gets the blame. However, the actions of IRA, the loyalist groups, the Basque Separatist Groups, Eric Robert Rudolph, etc do not bring Christianity under the spotlight nor do we hear terms such as “Christian Fundamentalists”, “Christianists”, “Christian Terrorists”, etc. In April 1995, immediately after the Oklahoma City bombing, fingers were pointed at “Islamic Fundamentalists”. However when Timothy McVeigh was found guilty, it was simply “Timothy McVeigh” and not “Christian Fundamentalists”.
Similarly the actions of Ariel Sharon, Dr Baruch Goldstein, IDF, Jewish Defence League, etc are not attributed to Judaism nor do we hear terms such as “Jewish Fundamentalists”, “Jewish Terrorists”, etc.
The West commonly uses two labels when describing Muslims, the “moderate” Muslims and the “fundamentalist” Muslims. So who is who? Generally the “fundamentalists” are those who oppose any western policies or interests. The definition of “moderates” can now be guessed.
Secondly, who has the right to label someone as a “fundamentalist” and by what standards? The Taliban were “mujahadieen” as long as their actions were in accordance with the US interests. As the interests changed, the “mujahadieen” turned into “fundamentalists”.
The double standards are obvious and quite frankly anyone who takes part in this Islam-Bashing is either ignorant of Islam or a bigot.

Islamic Bashing Season

from http://www.mykmu.net

Datuk Rejal Arbee
Looks like the season for Islam bashing is here again. You cannot but help come to this conclusion after going through the endless comments denouncing Islam arising from the Federal Court’s majority decision over the Lina Joy case. One website, Malaysia Today which gets about 2 million hits a day posted more than 10 threads discussing the verdict.
The picture given in the more vicious comments posted in those threads is that the Muslims are intolerant. The verdict has compromised the constitutional provision of guaranteeing freedom of worship and that the fundamental rights of a person was denied. Some even describing it as a dark day for human rights and religious freedom in Malaysia.
Some of the postings even pontificate that Islam advocates the death sentence against Muslims who renounced the religion attributing it to the Quran. One posting even claimed that Saudi Arabia periodically beheaded Muslims who converted to other religions. If this is so then how do you explain another posting claiming a Saudi girl had converted to Christianity to marry an Austrian working in the Kingdom. These postings show that some of the comments made in the various threads are very irresponsible.
The fact is there is nothing in the Quran which prescribes death to any Muslim who converts to another religion. Mohammad Hashim Kamali a Syariah Scholar at the International Islamic University quoted verse 137 of Surah An Nisa (Chapter 4 of the Quran) to debunk arguments that the Quran indeed prescribes the death penalty for apostasy.
“Those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe again, then disbelieve and then increase in their disbelief – God will never forgive them nor guide them to the path”. Kamali explained: “The implication is unmistakable. The text would hardly entertain the prospect of repeated belief and disbelief if death were to be the prescribed punishment for the initial act.”
No one has been sentenced to death solely for renunciation of faith unless accompanied by hostility and treason or was linked to an act of political betrayal of the community.
Nonetheless arising from this verdict there is paranoia among the non-Muslims including the western press accusing Malaysia of succumbing to Muslim extremists’ pressures. Their conclusion: religious freedom has taken a beating in this country and that Islam is indeed intolerant.
But what are the facts.
The Federal Constitution do indeed guarantee freedom of worship to everyone in this country. However this landmark case gives a distinction in such freedom accorded to Muslims and non-Muslims. For the non-Muslims the freedom is unquestionable. That is he can profess whatever religion that he wants including changing his religion to another. So what is there for the non-Muslims to complain?
But for the Muslims freedom of worship is not given in the absolute. A Muslim who wants to convert needed to follow certain procedures set out by the various Syariah Enactments in operation in the various states. What the Federal Court sets out then was that a Muslim wanting to relinquish his religion needed to apply to the Syariah court for a declaration. He should not try to get recourse from the Civil Court.
Not many know that before this case became a cause celebre there had been Muslims who had converted to other religions and allowed by the Syariah Court without any fanfare. Lawyer Pawancheek Merican who heads Defenders of Islam, a coalition of 80 Muslim non-governmental organisations, set up following a spate of religious disputes that have strained race relations in Malaysia believed that some 15 to 20 Muslims have been allowed to leave Islam officially through the Syariah Court. Thus rightly Lina Joy still have some recourse.
One posting quoted the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) President, Yusri Mohamad, as providing good advice to those who are “aggrieved in any way” with any part of the existing (Islamic/Muslim) arrangement to “choose other less confrontational and controversial approach towards change and reform”.
He said: “We believe the court procedure is an unhealthy one because such issues should be avoided (at the courts) as all confrontational approaches should be shunned.”
“We also plead that those hoping for an opposite outcome to reconsider their position and to consider modifying their expectations to suit what is good and more sustainable considering our realities. It is our belief that it is wrong for us as Muslims and Muslim associations to tolerate any injustice in the name of Islam.”
But the problem is that for one reason or another people behind Lina Joy had seen fit to take a confrontationist stance in so far as her conversion is concerned by bringing it to the Civil Court.
A posting by a Voice in the Malaysia Today website summed up what some Muslims believe: If these are private issues, why is the American based Beckett's funding her defense and expensive legal team? Why are certain deviant Muslim groups getting Konrad Adreneur Foundation's funding and assistance? Why is Singapore sympathiser New Straits Times and Sun giving much voice to those super liberal Muslims and refuse the right of replies by progressive and more authoritative Muslim groups?
(This I can vouch as several letters I sent to the NST and the Sun in response to certain views and accusations made against the Malays had on a number of occasions been spiked, never seeing the light of the day.)
Malaysia Today also carried a posting from Time saying the Lina Joy verdict, which will likely become a precedent for several other pending conversion cases involving Muslims, is seen by many in Malaysia as evidence of how religious politics are cleaving the nation, with a creeping Islamisation undermining the rights of both non-Muslims and more moderate adherents to Islam.
The writer says that Islam is so often partnered with extremism and autocratic governance, with Malaysia held up as a model of a moderate Muslim nation committed to safeguarding the rights of its diverse population. That verdict could now undercut that reputation, so the writer says
"To some non-Muslims, Wednesday's judgment spelt a setback for religious freedom in Malaysia. 'I think it's a major blow,' opposition politician Lim Kit Siang was quoted as saying by Reuters. 'It casts a large shadow on civil liberties and the constitutional rights of Malaysians.'
Unfortunately such characters continued with their bigoted views even though the reality is quite different. There is no question that freedom of worship is well and truly functional among all Malaysians.
But the question is what is the objective of Lina Joy or those behind her to test the case right up to the Federal Court, the highest court of the country. And what is the agenda of the group funding the case? Why are these groups so intent in trying to embarrass the country and the practice of Islam here?
Arising from the verdict, Malaysia is now labeled as being intolerant and not practicing freedom of worship. And the rights activists has now accused the court of failing to address concerns over religious freedom in the country.
Thus foreign reports gleefully said the court's verdict comes amid mounting racial and religious tensions in multiracial Malaysia, where minority religious groups fear their rights are being undermined, even though the country is traditionally seen as moderate. But the reports steer clear of how the rights of non-Muslims are being undermined when they can profess whatever faith they desire.
Looking at it from another perspective what is the position of Lina Joy herself? Everybody knows she has renounced Islam and is thus no longer a Muslim but her IC still states her to be so. What then is the implication? If during fasting month she eats in public, would she be so charged as a Muslim even if she has renounced the religion and is not required to fast?
The fact is not many of those who are born Muslims want to renounce Islam. Most of the problem comes from people who convert because they want to get married to a Muslim. When the marriage failed and ends in divorce the convert then wants to return to his former faith. And this result in problems.
A lawyer in a letter to cyber newspaper, Malaysiakini said he has on his hands, a few cases of Muslim converts who wish to return to their previous religion. What does this show? A lot of those who convert to marry a Muslim is not given enough education and guidance to strengthen his faith in the religion so that even when the marriage ends in a divorce, the convert should faithfully remain a Muslim because of his belief. Relinquishing of the faith is an indictment of the failure of the various bodies entrusted with this responsibility not shouldering their duties well.
This should also be a reminder that converting to Islam is a serious thing. It is not just something of a whim. Even if the conversion was done out of necessity because of marriage, the convert’s belief in the religion should be strengthened with stronger faith in time. So that even when a marriage ends in failure the convert will remain a true Muslim and not revert back to his former religion.
For the Malays there is another dimension to the problem. Constitutionally a Malay is also a Muslim. Once he ceased to be a Muslim he is not longer recognised as a Malay under the provisions of the Constitution.
Rejal Arbee
1 June 2007

Same old tune

PAS blasts Malaysia government

KOTA BHARU, Malaysia (AFP) - Malaysia's main Islamic opposition party launched a bitter attack on the government Friday as it geared up for an expected early call for a general election.
Struggling to regain popularity after getting trounced at the polls in 2004, the hardline Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS) lashed out at Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his moderate brand of Islam.
PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang, addressing the party's annual congress, said corruption was on the rise in Malaysia despite the leadership of Abdullah, an Islamic scholar by training.
"What is most shameful is that while he is famed for his brand of Islam, which has been marketed to the whole world, corruption cases in his administration are increasing greatly," Abdul Hadi said.
The party congress is being held in the city of Kota Bharu in the state of Kelantan, where it is the ruling party. PAS in 2005 declared Kota Bharu an "Islamic city," aiming to run it based on Islamic law or sharia.
But it lost control of another state in the 2004 general election, which saw its seats in parliament slashed from 27 to five, and analysts believe it will be an uphill battle for PAS regain ground in the next election.
Malaysia is due for a general election in early 2009 but opposition parties say they expect Abdullah to call a poll before then.
"Whether it happens soon, before September or early next year, or if the prime minister wants to end his full term until March 2009, I call on all the election machinery ... to increase their preparedness," Abdul Hadi said.
PAS is in a coalition with the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), informally led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The three-day congress ends Sunday, when results on party elections will be announced. Opposition icon Anwar is expected to address delegates on Saturday.

tunku : it is best for pas to accuse the government with some evidence,not just talk and talk.as for pas, the current leadership is no longer relevant especially hadi awang and nik aziz.

Cleaner fuel from now

PETALING JAYA: Starting today, Malaysians will be able to breathe cleaner air and by 2009, the air may be even cleaner.
This is because the Government will start enforcing a law today that requires the sulphur content in fuel not to exceed 0.05%.
The Government is trying to ensure that the sulphur content will be only 0.005% by 2009.
All this will be achieved without any increase in the price of fuel.
Lower sulphur content means engines will emit less pollutants.
With 0.05% sulphur, the engines will comply with Euro II emission standards, while 0.005% will make engines Euro IV-compliant.
The current sulphur content for petrol and diesel in Malaysia is 0.15% and 0.3% respectively.
Euro emission standards are enforced throughout the European Union and the higher the standard, the lower the emission of pollutants.
Euro II was introduced in 1995 and replaced by Euro III in 1999. Euro IV was then introduced in 2005.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid confirmed that his ministry would begin enforcement of the new emissions standards today.
He said oil companies had agreed to comply with the ruling and would start selling cleaner fuel that complied with the Euro II emission standard by this month.
Azmi added that the Government would not allow any more deferment to the oil companies, as the ruling should have been enforced in April.
The date, however, was postponed because the petroleum companies asked to be allowed to finish non-compliant fuel stocks.
“The oil companies must comply with the ruling by now. They have been given some time to clear their stocks,” he said.
Azmi added that fuel prices would remain the same.
The ministry’s parliamentary secretary Datuk Sazmi Miah, who also confirmed the start of enforcement, said the Government wanted to implement the emission standards because motor vehicles contributed 60% of emission to air pollution.
Meanwhile, Petrol Dealers Association president Alang Zari Ishak said he did not know about today’s compliance date.
He said negotiations for the deferment of enforcement was still ongoing.
“We did not receive any notice but if the Government really wants us to comply, there will definitely have to be adjustments in the price,” he said.

tunku : great effort from the government but i hope there will be no price increase as the petrol dealers association already saying that there have to be adjsutment in the price. Please don't bow down to them, everytime we the consumer have to bow down and follow as we have no choice.

Nothing better to do

PAS Youth to march to EC office

KOTA BARU: PAS Youth has threatened to organise a 100,000-strong protest march to the Elections Commission office in Putrajaya if the commission continues to ignore the party’s demands for reforms.
Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub said PAS had called on the EC to review the electoral roll for the country, implement a thumbprint system for voters to prevent double voting and abolish the postal system.
Speaking at the close of the Dewan Pemuda assembly, he said the demands had been long-standing but the EC had yet to reply to the party’s concerns.
Salahuddin also said the national service programme should be scrapped as it had done more damage in building national unity.
“The free mixing of the sexes and allegations of sexual harassment and rape had smeared the NS reputation.”
Several delegates lashed out at those who campaigned for votes, singling out the intense SMS-style of campaigning the last few days.
Kedah delegate Aishah Abu Bakar asked the Dewan Muslimat (women’s wing) to organise a mass boycott of business premises that sold or served liquor.

tunku : i guess pas now lack of confidence for the coming election and came out with such stupid ideas like to organise a mass boycott of business premises that sold or served liquor. then in their "ceramah" to non muslim they say something else.

Beware of the court con

KUALA LUMPUR: Beware of a voice message from the “Malaysian High Court”. The message claiming you have not attended a court case is merely a scam to get your personal and bank details.
In all cases reported, the recipients of the message denied they had any pending court case or were being sought by the police.
The caller, purportedly from the “Malaysian High Court” would call a prospective victim, telling the person that he or she had missed a court hearing.
The caller would then instruct the recipient to dial “9”. Doing so would put them in touch with an operator who would then insist that the victim gives his or her name as well as identity card number, supposedly for purposes of verification.
The operator then tells the victim that he or she either had a case to attend or had missed a hearing.
According to a recent victim, the operator gave an assurance that she would fax all details to an officer at Bukit Aman, who would get back to the victim within three or four minutes.
“True enough, in less than two minutes a man called and asked me a lot of questions.
“He claimed that a criminal had used my identity card and opened an account at some banks and asked whether I had accounts in these banks, too,” said the victim.
“When I told him I did, the officer said he would help me with the case if I told him how much I have in that account.”
The victim refused, asking instead to meet the caller first. The caller then gave his victim a phone number, purportedly of a contact at Bukit Aman.
According to police, some victims were so convinced by the “officer” that they gave their account number and the bank balance as instructed. When they called the "officer” back at the given number, the call would either reach a police station or a private home.
So far, the police have received more than 100 reports of the scam in the Klang Valley.
The swindle first surfaced in Penang last month, prompting the police there to advise the public not to entertain such calls and check instead with the police to determine if they indeed had court hearings to attend.
It is learned that the scam had also spread to Johor and other states.
“I advise the public not to entertain such calls,” said City commercial crime chief Asst Comm Mohd Aris Ramli.
“They should contact the police immediately if they receive such calls or are approached by anyone with such modus operandi.”

tunku : nowadays these con people getting smarter and smarter but we need to be more alert and smarter than them, never reveal anything through phones,internet.always call up the relevant authorities to check whether it's true, and call their hotline number.

Lina Joy & Malaysia Constitution & Racial Tense

from www.mykmu.net
Ab Jalil Backer (jalil74@myjaring.net)
Saya ingin merakamkan tahniah kepada Mahkamah Persekutuan yang secara jelas menyatakan kedudukan Mahkamah Syariah dan mempertahankan pembahagian kuasa antara persekutuan dengan negeri dan juga kedudukan Islam dalam Perlembagaan negara.
Kesan kepada keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan terhadap kes Lina Joy atau Azalina Jalaini sudah diduga. Jika Lina menang maka akan timbul kemarahan orang Islam. Jika Lina kalah maka akan timbul kemarahan orang bukan Islam.
Dengan kata lain, walau apa pun keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan semalam tidak mungkin akan meredakan ketegangan dalam isu ini. Kedua-dua pihak yang menyokong dan menentang murtadnya seorang manusia Melayu bernama Azalina Jalaini ini kepada Lina Joy hanya menjadi alat untuk memporak-perandakan Perlembagaan Malaysia dan persetujuan-persetujuan kemerdekaan negara termasuk pemberian kerakyatan kepada jutaan bukan Melayu dan Islam.
Secara peribadi saya berpegang kepada pandangan bahawa orang yang ingin keluar Islam atau murtad, tanpa memerangi Islam atau negara Islam, tidak harus dihukum atau dihalang, apatah lagi dihukum bunuh. Hal ini saya tegaskan beberapa kali dalam Forum Pembaca Utusan Malaysia sekitar 1999. Kerana itu saya menerima banyak kecaman dan ancaman yang sampai sekarang boleh dibaca sebahagiannya di Enjin Pencari Google.
Justeru secara peribadi saya tiada masalah jika Lina Joy mahu keluar Islam atau murtad. Islam tidak memerlukan mereka yang tidak percaya kepada keluhuran dan kebenaran janji-janji Allah. Islam itu lebih besar dari penganutnya mahu pun manusia.
Namun isu Lina Joy menimbulkan persoalan yang lebih besar bukan sahaja kepada saya malah sebahagian besar orang Melayu. Tanpa mengambil kira persepsi Pas, sebahagian besar Badan Bukan Kerajaan (NGO) Islam yang menyertai protes dan bantahan ini melihat sudut pandangan yang lebih besar.
Lina Joy telah mengemukakan permohonan kepada Mahkamah Sivil Malaysia agar Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) untuk menukar status agama di dalam Mykadnya. Lina juga mempertikaikan tindakan JPN yang mahukan keputusan bertulis Mahkamah Syariah yang menyatakan beliau sudah meninggalkan agama Islam.
Justeru isu yang dibincangkan di mahkamah Sivil (dari Mahkamah Tinggi, Mahkamah Rayuan dan Mahkamah Persekutuan) dari awal sehingga keputusan muktamad ialah sama ada Mahkamah Sivil mempunyai hak untuk menentukan keislaman seseorang atau membenarkan seseorang muslim keluar dari Islam.
Justeru beberapa hari lalu, Mahkamah Persekutuan membuat keputusan muktamad bahawa hanya Mahkamah Syariah yang berhak menentukan kedudukan agama seseorang Muslim yang ingin murtad.
Tidak timbul isu orang Islam tidak dibenarkan menukar agama di negara ini. Tidak timbul isu Lina Joy tidak dibenarkan murtad. Isu adalah isu Perlembagaan.
Sejak dari awal hampir kesemua peguam yang ikhlas di Malaysia memahami bahawa isu-isu berkaitan agama Islam termasuklah murtad berada di bawah kuasa raja atau sultan, negeri dan mahkamah Syariah. Keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan hanya mengesahkan lagi keputusan-keputusan terdahulu dan semangat Perlembagaan dan isu kedudukan agama Islam dan mahkamah syariah.
Mengapakah saluran yang betul tidak digunakan oleh Lina Joy dan kumpulan yang berada di belakangnya untuk mendapatkan pertintah mahkamah ke atas status agamanya?
Mengapa Lina Joy mengambil keputusan membawa kes ini ke mahkamah sivil tanpa melalui saluran asal iaitu mahkamah Syariah?
Alasan yang diberikan bahawa tidak mungkin Mahkamah Syariah akan membenarkannya atau sebagainya hanyalah berbentuk hipotesis yang tidak boleh dibuktikan kebenarannya. Ini kerana Lina tidak pernah membawa kesnya ke Mahkamah Syariah.
Jika beliau boleh menghabiskan masa hampir 7 tahun di Mahkamah sivil maka kita tertanya-tanya mengapa beliau tidak boleh mematuhi undang-undang negara ini dengan membuat permohonan beliau di Mahakamah Syariah.
Pada hemat saya, Jika permohonan beliau gagal, barulah beliau ada locus standi untuk membawa kesnya ke Mahakamah Tinggi.
Tindakan Lina Joy, dan kumpulan dibelakangnya, menghabiskan begitu banyak wang di Mahkamah Sivil mencabar fasal-fasal dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia berkenaan kedudukan Islam dan Mahkamah Syariah tidak lagi boleh dilihat hanya untuk memenuhi hawa nafsunya menukar agama lagi.
Sebaliknya, kumpulan ini jelas memperlihatkan usaha mereka mencabar kedudukan agama Islam sebagai Agama Rasmi Persekutuan, pembahagian kuasa antara Persekutuan dan Negeri serta kedudukan raja-raja Melayu. Ini sekaligus usaha awal untuk memansuhkan segala elemen-elemen persetujuan Kemerdekaaan Negara yang membabitkan orang Melayu secara keseluruhannya.
Jika dua daripada tiga hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan tempoh hari terpengaruh dengan lobi kumpulan ini pasti semangat Perlembagaan Malaysia ini sudah tercabul dan akan mencetuskan lebih banyak kontroversi dan pengahakisan hak-hak orang Melayu yang dipersetujui sebelum ini.
Perjuangan Lina Joy di Mahkamah sivil hanyalah ikon kepada usaha semangat Perlembagaan yang membabitkan fasal-fasal yang diminta oleh orang Melayu dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia sebagai balasan kepada pemberian kewarganegaraan kepada kaum Cina dan India ketika itu.
Ketika hak-hak yang dituntut oleh kaum-kaum bukan Melayu dipatuhi dan tidak pernah dicabar, terdapat usaha sekarang ini untuk menarik balik persetujuan antara kaum sebelum merdeka dahulu.
Lebih jelas usaha ini dilihat ingin mencabar kedudukan Mahkamah Syariah yang sebelum ini dianggap setaraf dengan Mahkamah Sivil. Mereka mahu menurunkan kedudukan Mahkamah Syariah sekaligus mengurangkan kedudukan Islam sebagai agama rasmi persekutuan.
Dan isu inilah yang menimbulkan kemarahan sebahagian orang Melayu dan NGO Islam yang terbabit tempoh hari.
Diharap kerajaan mengambil tindakan tegas ke atas sesiapa yang memutarbelitkan kenyataan bahawa keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan tersebut menghalang kebebasan beragama.
Ini kerana hakikatnya, Mahkamah Persekutuan hanya membuat keputusan bahawa kedudukan agama Lina Joy hanya boleh tentukan oleh Mahkamah Syariah kerana beliau merupakan seorang Islam yang ingin keluar agama.

Tunku : jalil backer is right, we don't care if she's no more a muslim as when she had made the decision to convert to christian it meant that she no longer a muslim in her heart, she doest not believe Allah anymore.that's fine.Go away and we won't kill you as there's no such thing to kill an apostate unless they harms our religion or country.anyway is lina joy case she is challenging our constitution and that's too much.everyone should never challenge the constitution of malaysia which has been agreed before by all races.i hope people dont make use of this issue anymore as there's already small fires burning out there and please don't make the fire becomes big.it wont be good to us and everyone will be on losing side.those who don't understand the constitution of malaysia, please read it and understand it and if you can't accept it, then i am sorry to say go and migrate to other country where you can accept their constitution regardless of any races/religion. name one country who don't discriminates minorities, in malaysia although the non malays said that they have been discriminated but the reality is the non malays control 82% of malaysian business activities.so how can the non malays says that they are being discriminated. LET US LIVE TOGETHER PEACEFULLY,UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER THOROUGHLY,RESPECT EACH OTHER.

The Proton Dilemma

PM Orders Proton To Turn Around, Seek Other Equity Partners
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has directed Proton Holdings Bhd to start turning around its financial performance after its losses deepened to about RM619 million and Volkswagen AG backed out from becoming an equity partner.
"They have to turn around. They cannot be going on making losses," he told a news conference after chairing an Umno Supreme Council meeting here today.
Asked whether Proton would need top management changes, Abdullah said: "They have to do whatever they think is necessary."
Proton incurred a full-year pre-tax loss of RM619.9 million for the year ended March 31, reflecting the challenging operating environment.
It registered a pre-tax loss of RM11.8 million on the back of a turnover of RM1.27 billion in its fourth quarter.
On a foreign partner for the national car maker, Abdullah said Volkswagen AG was not keen on Proton's proposal in terms of equity participation, but would rather engage in some other form of cooperation with Proton.
In view of this, Abdullah said, Proton needs to initiate talks with other parties for a strategic tie-up.
"I have decided, since Volkswagen is not interested in the proposal that Proton wants in terms of equity, Proton needs to talk to other people," he said.
The government has missed its self-imposed March 31 deadline to name the strategic partner for Proton.
Khazanah Nasional Bhd, the Malaysian government investment arm, owns around 43 percent of Proton.
It was widely reported that Proton had engaged in talks with several foreign carmakers, including Volkswagen and General Motors Corporation.

Proton In Dire Need Of Technical Partner

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- Proton Holdings Bhd is in dire need of a good partner which will provide it the technical expertise it requires to improve its quality, sales and compete in the international market, says an analyst.
"They are also lagging behind in marketing their products compared with their peers," the analyst, from a local stockbroking firm, told Bernama, today.
Getting a good partner is therefore important for them in the long term, said the analyst who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"Competitiveness is very important for all car manufacturers in both the domestic and international market.
"Proton will also have to meet the quality, an important aspect in fulfilling a marketing strategy. This will help them gain confidence from buyers."
She said that Proton should also produce a volume selling car that will help them improve their sales.
"If Proton fulfills all these factors, they will be able to return to the black in the future," she added.
For the financial year ended March 31, 2007, Proton recorded a pre-tax loss of RM619.9 million.
Its managing director, Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, attributed the poor performance to lower sales volume and a combination of other factors including one-off expenses.


tunku : it's very easy to answer like what pm had answered, "They have to turn around. They cannot be going on making losses,","They have to do whatever they think is necessary."Anybody can answer like that.Pak Lah should make proton one of his top agenda as there are more than 20000 people working with proton.change the management.the current management is too slow to move.it's shocking to see once cash rich company now losing almost everything it has.proton is our nation pride.as for strategic partner, i guess now a local company will do as there is not much time for proton to keep breathing.may be a consortium like company comes in. the consortium can be run jointly by DRB Hicom,Naza and any other parties which has technical/marketing experience in automative industry. it will be a win win situation for all.look a the new proton model which will be launch soon,BUY IT, help proton.

PM: Don’t be emotional over Joy decision

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today urged for an open mind and rational thinking from everyone over the recent decision in Lina Joy’s case.
“If we allow ourselves to be overcome by emotion, we will begin to have all kinds of thoughts; we will have suspicions about this and that,” he was quoted as saying in Bernama.
He also said that his government had played no role or brought any influence on the decision of the Federal Court.
"That is the decision of the court; I don't question them," he said after chairing an Umno Supreme Council meeting today.
Yesterday, the highest court in the country ruled on a 2-1 majority to dismiss Lina’s appeal to to have the word "Islam" removed from her identity card.
Lina, 43, had claimed to have renounced Islam to embrace Christianity 17 years ago.
The court however ruled that Lina had to obtain a certificate of apostasy from the Syariah Court before the National Registration Department could drop the word "Islam" from her identity card.
Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and Federal Court Judge Alauddin Mohd Sherif dismissed her appeal while Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum dissented.
Asked if the Federal Court decision would cause a religious divide in the country, Abdullah said: "I don't think there is a divide although the discussion on religion becomes more widespread."
Bernama also reported that at the press conference, Abdullah also dismissed a suggestion from a foreign journalist that Islamic law was now above the Federal Constitution in the country.
"There is no such thing (of Islamic law being above the Federal Constitution). The Federal Constitution is the Federal Constitution.
“There is a set of laws we have to follow. It is something that we have to follow, that's all," he said.

tunku : MUSLIM CAN'T CONVERT TO OTHER RELIGION,GET IT.DON'T MAKE US REACT.