11.13.09
Posted in Life at 12:42 pm by Les
KUANTAN: The caning sentence imposed on part-time model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno still has not been carried out following syubahah (doubt) in the implementation.
Pahang Religious Affairs Committee Chairman Datuk Mohamad Sahfri Ab Aziz said they must be careful when carrying out the punishment, especially on female offenders.
“In our 52 years of independence, we have not had a female caner,” he said replying to a supplementary question from Syed Mohammed Tuan Lonnik (PASBeserah) regarding the obstacle to carrying out the sentence on Kartika at the 12th Pahang state assembly, here Friday.
Mohamad Sahfri said, however, a similar punishment had been carried out for the same offence on an Indonesian man, whereby he received six strokes of the cane at the Penor Prison, here Satirday.
He said Pahang was among the states that provided for the fine, prison and caning sentences for the offence of consuming alcohol.
Kartika, 32, was fined RM5,000 and sentenced to be caned six times by the Kuantan Syariah High Court on July 20 after she confessed to violating Islamic laws by drinking beer in a hotel lobby in Cherating on July 11 last year.
Replying to Syed Mohammed’s original question that the caning sentence did not follow the Islamic law, Mohamad Sahfri said it complied with regulations approved by the Pahang state assembly and jurisdiction allocated by the Federal Constitution through the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) 1965.
He said that although the Islamic laws fixed between 40 to 80 canings for alcohol consumption, which is recognised as a hudud offence, the Syariah Court had no jurisdiction to impose hudud sentences. –
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11.10.09
Posted in orang Asli at 10:59 am by Les
Penampang: ORANG Asli from Peninsular Malaysia turned up for the Upko meeting at the Sabah Cultural Centre for the first time, Saturday.
Dressed in their distinctive traditional headgear, five Upko division chiefs of Tapah, Gopeng, Parit, Tanjung Malim and Kampar from Perak, led by Suki Mee, Tanjung Malim division chief, were among the delegates.
Suki said they were here to bring the aspirations of their people through the party of their choice.
He said they would be taking part in the party convention today (Sunday).
According to him, they applied to join Upko in 2001 and were only granted approval early this year.
“We’ve been looking for a platform for our struggle. We feel that our voice and our difficulties have not been viewed seriously,” he said.
He said Upko’s focus on defending the indigenous people in Malaysia was the key reason for the Orang Asli being attracted to Upko.
The Orang Asli, according to Upko President, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, were accepted into the party since they were also of the Pasokmomogun groups despite most of them being in peninsula.
“We also took into consideration the socio-economic achievement of the Orang Asli who are still lagging behind even though they receive assistance from the Orang Asli Affairs Department,” he said.
Of the 150,000 Orang Asli in the peninsula he said not many are in possession of land titles.
In fact, where land matters are concerned, the problems faced by the Orang Asli are almost similar to the Pasokmomogun communities in Sabah.
“In this respect, Upko cannot promise anything to our Orang Asli brothers and sisters from the peninsula.
“What we have is only a political party that has only its voice É but we will strive to find solutions to the various communal issues,” he assured.
He also said Upko formed its divisions in Perak, Selangor and Johor at the insistence and persistent request from people there. Initially, Upko started as only clubs in Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia and in Kuala Lumpur.
But when the club in Semarang became non-active, the club in Kuala Lumpur decided to form an Upko Division in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“Early this year, upon requests from the Orang Asli in Perak, the party’s Supreme Council made the decision to approve their application to join us É this after several series of briefings were held in Perak,” he said.
Dompok said the party is acutely aware of the implications that might arise from Upko’s decision to accept the Orang Asli into the party.
Nevertheless, he stressed that as a party, Upko could only voice the Orang Asli’s aspirations, complaints and feelings in the various forums and opportunities organised by the party and would bring the matters up to the higher ups.
He said just like other Upko leaders, the Orang Asli must also be ready to share the responsibility in the party’s struggle.
Just as the Kadazandusun in Sabah and Dayak in Sarawak have already formed their respective chambers of commerce, he said the Orang Asli are also in the process of setting up their own entity.
Upko supported this endeavour, as this is the party’s aspiration for the Pasokmomogun communities.
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11.04.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:13 pm by Les
Les:
This is really sad — a terrible waste
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“The soldiers were all killed as a result of gunshot wounds sustained in an attack in the Nad-e?Ali district of Helmand Province during the afternoon of 3 November 2009,” it said in a statement.
“The attack is subject to investigation.”
Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield said on BBC radio that the soldiers killed had been mentoring Afghan police and living inside the checkpoint.
“It would appear… that an individual Afghan national policeman, possibly acting in conjunction with another, started firing within the checkpoint,” he said.
The incident brings to 229 the number of British troops who have been killed in Afghanistan.
It makes this the bloodiest year for the armed forces since the Falklands War in 1982.
Three of the soldiers were from the Grenadier Guards and two from the Royal Military Police. Families have been informed.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “The death of five brave soldiers in a single incident is a terrible loss.
“My thoughts, condolences and sympathies go to their families, loved ones and colleagues. I know that the whole country, too, will mourn their loss.”
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