Selasa, 13 Mei 2014

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Freekeh, the super healthy grain

Posted: 13 May 2014 08:34 PM PDT

BY EU HOOI KHAW
May 14, 2014

Freekeh Salad, with roasted and fresh vegetables, sun dried tomatoes, pickled olives and pine nuts. – May 14, 2014.Freekeh is a green wheat which has been part of the Middle Eastern diet for the past 4,300 years. This ancient grain, packed with nutritional and health benefits, is now available in Malaysia.

There's a story about how in 2,300 BC a country in the region expected its enemy to lay siege to its walled city. Its people picked the green heads of their wheat and stored them to avoid starvation. The green wheat caught fire in the store, but when the heads of wheat were rubbed together, delicious green grains were exposed which they called "freekeh", which means "the rubbed one".

Freekeh would have remained in the Middle East if not for the efforts of Tony Lufti, managing director of Greenwheat Freekeh Pty in Adelaide, Australia, to produce it. Months before Lufti arrived in Kuala Lumpur to explain what freekeh was all about, I was given a packet of it to try. I found it easy to cook, simmering in more water than you would cook rice in, for 30 minutes. It also helped that it had a nice, toasty aroma and a nutty bite.

You could add anything to the cooked grain, as in a salad, or treat it like fried rice, combining sautéed ingredients like meat, prawns, herbs or spices and chopped vegetables with it. Best of all just a little freekeh goes a long way, as it keeps you full for several hours.

At a cooking demonstration in Jaya Grocer at Intermark, Kuala Lumpur, Lufti showed how easily two types of freekeh could be cooked – the cracked one with chicken stock, and the whole freekeh with water.

Lufti showing how freekeh can be combined with roasted and fresh vegetables, dried fruits and nuts in a salad. – May 14, 2014.He had prepared roasted eggplant and pumpkin, sundried tomatoes, chopped onions, pickled olives, capsicum, dried apricots, dates and fresh coriander to combine with the whole freekeh, in a tasty and wholesome salad.

You can cook freekeh with rice, making it more nutritious, or it can be a replacement for rice to eat with curry or any dishes.

Lufti, an American mechanical and petroleum engineer, came across freekeh by chance when he worked in the oil and gas industry in the Gulf. Then he started working for USAID (US Agency for International Development), helping in technology transfer from the US to developing countries.

It was while working for the agency in Jordan that he met Prince Hassan, the then Crown Prince, who invited him to lunch at his house. "A main dish was served, in the form of a huge platter heaped with what looked like rice, with lots of pine nuts, raisins, almonds and chicken, with salad at the side. It tasted wonderful," said Lufti. It was freekeh.

"When it was in season, the Jordanians would eat freekeh in a dish called Mansaf, or as a rice substitute, in soups, or as stuffing especially for poultry.

"The prince said I was lucky to eat it in his house because if I had eaten freeken elsewhere I would have broken a tooth. The grains are full of stones and they have to remove them before cooking. He joked that during the freekeh season, dentists would rub their hands in glee."

Jordanians had tried to develop technology to produce freekeh but had failed. Then in 1990 Kuwait was invaded by Iraq. Lufti went to Australia where he was asked by the government to help it gain access into difficult markets for a range of projects, from IT to communications, food processing and animal feed. Then, at the home of the director of the communications project he was involved in, invited him to lunch, and freekeh was served!

Lufti found out that the director who is Armenian, had got the grain which was imported from the Middle East, in Australia.

Lufti was determined to investigate the production of freekeh in Australia. "It's one of the biggest wheat producing countries in the world". He applied to the Australian Agribusiness Development Programme for A$100,000. He got it.

Lufti went to see how they produced freekeh in the Middle East. Then he designed and built a machine for this. Freekeh production started in Australia in 1997, to supply the markets in the Middle East. Business was booming till the US invasion of Iraq.

Before this, Lufti had ploughed his profits back to research the properties of freekeh. The findings were astounding, he said.

Freekeh is very nutritious and helps with weight loss, controlling sugar levels and bowel health. – May 14, 2014."Medical researchers discovered that eating freekeh would help manage Type 2 diabetes due to its high level of resistant starch and high fibre. It also helps diminish the risk of colorectal cancer.

"These two basic indicators increased the production of short chain fatty acids called butyrates. These findings were by CSiro (Commonwealth Scientific Investigation Research Organisation) which is part of the Australian Federal Government. "

The second research was done by Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia, a world leading institute in cancer research. They found that consumption of freekeh produced an apoptotic effect, which means freekeh sweeps out of the body damaged DNA cells which could mutate and turn cancerous.

In both findings freekeh showed positive for all cases of bowel health, including constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Freekeh began to be sold in the US and Japan in 2005, but it was too early to engage the interest of consumers. However, demand picked up dramatically in 2009. "In the US there was the Ancient Grain Movement which started to make headway into the benefits of whole grain following the election of President Obama. Michelle Obama started campaigning for Americans to eat healthy and lose weight."

Freekeh is not just confined to wheat. "We catch the grain when it is still young, so it can be made from barley, oats, triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye) and even rice. We are looking into the possibility of producing freekeh from rice."

"Freekeh is not gluten-free. However, when we started selling in Australian supermarkets we had calls from customers who were allergic to wheat and gluten and yet had no reaction when consuming freekeh. Among them were those who were celiac or mid-range celiac.

"We found out from CSiro that as we were harvesting the grain early the gluten had not fully developed. The intolerance to gluten was not there because it did not combine with glyadin to trigger it off."

Freekeh is available in wholegrain and cracked, freekeh noodles, and freekeh flour. – May 14, 2014.Then Trader's Joe, a supermarket chain in the US, started using a woman called Bonnie Mathews to do cooking demonstrations of freekeh. She was 44 years old then and weighed 248 lbs, wearing a size 20. She suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure. She noticed when she started to eat freekeh, she began to lose weight.

She sent a letter to Oprah and told her about this product and what it was doing for her. Oprah contacted Dr Oz and asked him to investigate Bonnie for a year. Bonnie was monitored and measured, and her diet modified. A year later, in January 2011, she was interviewed by Oprah on her show. The demand for freekeh peaked in US, Canada, UK and Brazil.

Freekeh is available in Kuala Lumpur at BIG Publika, Jaya Grocer Intermark, Hock Choon, Village Grocer Bangsar and Mont Kiara and Sogo. There are also freekeh (high-protein) noodles which are so good to eat. – May 14, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Guangzhou Evergrande lose but are into AFC Champions League quarter-finals

Posted: 13 May 2014 07:46 AM PDT

May 13, 2014

Guangzhou Evergrande are one step closer to repeating last year's celebrations on winning the AFC Cahmpions League title, after beating Cerezo Osaka 5-2 on aggregate and moving on to the quarter-finals. – AFP pic, May 13, 2014.Guangzhou Evergrande kept on course to defend their AFC Champions League title as they blazed into the quarter-finals with a 5-2 aggregate win over Cerezo Osaka on Tuesday.

Marcello Lippi's Chinese champions lost 1-0 on the night, courtesy of a Liao Lisheng own goal, but Cerezo never looked likely to bridge the 5-1 deficit conceded in last week's first leg.

Guangzhou, now in their third straight AFC quarter-final, join Pohang Steelers in the last-eight draw after the 2009 champions beat Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1-0 to win 3-1 on aggregate.

Guangzhou hardly needed to exert themselves after last week's impressive win, but Italy international Alessandro Diamanti nearly extended their advantage when he floated a shot against the bar.

Zhao Xuri also cannoned the ball off the leg of Cerezo goalkeeper Kim Jin-Hyeon when he slid onto a cross at point-blank range.

Guangzhou had an injury concern over Brazilian striker Muriqui, last year's tournament top-scorer, who went off and was replaced by Gao Lin.

Cerezo were battling gamely, despite the absence of star forward Diego Forlan, who had earlier been named in Uruguay's World Cup squad, and they could easily have gone ahead in the first half.

Jumpei Kusukami had a shot well saved by Guangzhou keeper Zeng Cheng, while Tatsuya Yamashita fired over the bar from close range after a corner.

Just after half-time, the visitors' hopes flickered when defender Liao Lisheng, intercepting a dangerous low cross from Ryo Nagai, could only direct the ball into his own net.

But there was little more to come from Cerezo, save an offside goal from Nagai in the final minutes, and a jubilant Tianhe stadium was soon able to celebrate another Asian quarter-final spot.

Earlier in Pohang, Kim Seung-Dae settled the home side's nerves when he scored in just the sixth minute.

Any hopes that Jeonbuk, the 2006 Asian champions, would mount a revival receded when Choi Bo-Kyung was sent off nine minutes before half-time. – Afp, May 13, 2014.

Sherbini shocked in British Open first round

Posted: 13 May 2014 07:24 AM PDT

May 13, 2014

Nour El Sherbini (pic, left), the 18-year-old Egyptian squash prodigy who, last month, was within a couple of points of becoming world champion, was sent crashing out in a controversial first round of the British Open on Tuesday.

Sherbini was beaten 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9 by Emma Beddoes, an English player who reached the world's top 20 for the first time only last month at the age of 28.

Beddoes' career-best win may have aided by the conditions and by debatable 'no let' decisions at important moments which upset Sherbini, triggering uncharacteristic outbursts from the Alexandrian teenager towards the English referee.

However, she took her chance with a clear head and good judgement, mixing the short and the long games well, especially in a see-saw fourth game .

"I'm really surprised, but all the pressure was on her and I played really well," Beddoes said. "Last time we played I was just chasing all match, so this time I tried to not give her time in the middle and I managed to keep her behind me more."

It was Sherbini's first match since flirting with world championship glory in Penang, and she may have been inhibited by having to compete on a conventional plaster-walled court, on which all the first round women's matches are being played, instead of the all-glass show court.

Sherbini nevertheless led 5-3 in the third game and led 7-4 in the fourth game, and each time appeared to be on the way to recovery, with the help of the support of her father.

However, each time in the following few rallies there were two 'no let' decisions imposed on her, either for failing to play the ball or for failing to show she could have played the ball.

Referees appear to be adopting new, tougher interpretations, based on the needs of TV to avoid interruptions in the play and designed to make players continue the rally where reasonably possible.

"There were probably a couple which were harsh in the fourth," Beddoes admitted. "I know referees are trying to clamp down and it will take some adapting.

"You have to make sure you give a hundred percent effort (to get to the ball). With me, it's more obvious I am making a hundred percent effort.

"She seemed surprised, and it can be tough if that's the way the game is going."

Beddoes had not looked to see who she might play in the second round, but has clearly improved enough to be a threat to many players.

She will next play Low Wee Wern, the seventh-seeded Malaysian in the all-glass show court. – AFP, May 13, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

A future of thirst: Water crisis lies on the horizon

Posted: 12 May 2014 09:31 PM PDT

May 13, 2014

A boy fills buckets with water sourced from underground wells in Aleppo May 10, 2014. Around 768 million people do not have access to a safe, reliable source of water and 2.5 billion do not have decent sanitation. – Reuters pic, May 13, 2014.The next time your throat is as dry as a bone and the sun is beating down, take a glass of clean, cool water.

Savour it. Sip by sip.

Vital and appreciated as that water is, it will be even more precious to those who will follow you.

By the end of this century, billions are likely to gripped by water stress and the stuff of life could be an unseen driver of conflict.

So say hydrologists who forecast that on present trends, freshwater faces a double crunch – from a population explosion, which will drive up demand for food and energy, and the impact of climate change.

"Approximately 80% of the world's population already suffers serious threats to its water security, as measured by indicators including water availability, water demand and pollution," the Nobel-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned in a landmark report in March.

"Climate change can alter the availability of water and therefore threaten water security."

Already today, around 768 million people do not have access to a safe, reliable source of water and 2.5 billion do not have decent sanitation. Around a fifth of the world's aquifers are depleted.

Jump forward in your imagination to mid-century, when the world's population of about 7.2 billion is expected to swell to around 9.6 billion.

By then, global demand for water is likely to increase by a whopping 55%, according to the United Nations' newly published World Water Development Report.

More than 40% of the planet's population will be living in areas of "severe" water stress, many of them in the broad swathe of land that runs along north Africa, the Middle East and western South Asia.

Yet these scenarios do not take into account changes in rainfall or snowfall or glacier shrinkage caused by global warming.

As a very general rule, wet countries will get wetter and dry countries will get drier, accentuating risk of flood or drought, climate scientists warn.

But whether people will heed their alarm call is a good question.

"When seismologists talk about an area at risk from an earthquake, people generally accept what they say and refrain from building their home there," says French climatologist Herve Le Treut.

"But when it comes to drought or flood, people tend to pay less attention when the warning comes from meteorologists."

Water squabbles in the hot, arid sub-tropics have a long history. In recent years, the Tigris, Euphrates and Nile have all been the grounds for verbal sparring over who has the right to build dams, withhold or extract "blue gold" to the possible detriment of people downstream.

"There will clearly be less water available in sub-tropical countries, both as surface water and aquifer water, and this will sharpen competition for water resources," says Blanca Jimenez-Cisneros, who headed the chapter on water for the big IPCC report.

Citing a 2012 assessment by US intelligence agencies, the US State Department says: "Water is not just a human health issue, not just an economic development or environmental issue, but a peace and security issue."

Rows over water between nations tend to be resolved without bloodshed, often using international fora, says Richard Connor, who headed the UN water report.

However, "you can talk about conflict in which water is the root cause, albeit usually hidden," he told AFP.

"It can lead to fluctuations in energy and food prices, which can in turn lead to civil unrest. In such cases, the 'conflict' may be over energy or food prices, but these are themselves related to water availability and allocation."

Failing a slowdown in population growth or a swift solution to global warming, the main answers for addressing the water crunch lie in efficiency.

In some countries of the Middle East, between 15 and 60% of water disappears through leaks or evaporation even before the consumer turns the tap.

Building desalination plants on coasts in dry regions may sound tempting, "but their water can cost up to 30 times more than ordinary water", notes Jimenez-Cisneros.

Efficiency options include smarter irrigation, crops that are less thirsty or drought-resilient, power stations that do not extract vast amounts of water for cooling, and consumer participation, such as flushing toilets with "grey" water, meaning used bath or shower water.

Above all, the message will be: don't waste even a single drop. – AFP, May 13, 2014.

Two WW2 soldiers – one French, one German – united in will to remember

Posted: 12 May 2014 06:55 PM PDT

May 13, 2014

Former German army paratrooper Johannes Borner, aged 88, poses with his wartime picture at Ouistreham, Western France, April 30, 2014. – Reuters pic, May 13, 2014.When Leon Gautier landed on Sword Beach in a hail of enemy fire on June 6, 1944, as one of the first wave of French commandos to set foot on Normandy soil, the last thing he expected was that 70 years later one of the "Boches" he was fighting against would be a friend and neighbour.

Today, 91-year-old Gautier and his friend Johannes Boerner, 88, are two of the dwindling number of veterans of the Allied D-Day landings and the ensuing nearly three-month battle of attrition that began to push German forces back from the western front of Nazi-occupied Europe.

Time and understanding have forged a bond between the former French elite commando and the German parachutist from Leipzig, who as neighbours in the Normandy town of Ouistreham celebrated Christmas together in 2012, and will both attend ceremonies next month marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

"We're like brothers now, it's just great for both of us," said Boerner, who took French citizenship in 1956 after marrying a local Norman woman.

It is one of the vagaries of history that both men live today in the same town where Gautier landed on D-Day, Tommy gun in hand and a year of training under his belt, one of Commander Philippe Kieffer's 177 French soldiers who battled the machine gun fire, landmines and barbed wire of Sword Beach as part of the No. 4 British Commando unit.

Besides the unforgettable sight of the armada of boats filling the sea, Gautier recalls rechecking his ammunition cartridge and his grenade just before landing, and how the photo of his wife Dorothea in his pocket got "a little wet".

"It was OK, though, I fixed it later," he said. "I still have it."

Shells from German bunkers rained down on Gautier and his commandos even before they reached land, but months of training and a surge of adrenaline outweighed their fear of the "Boches", the derogatory term used by the French for their enemy.

"Commander Kieffer had told us what would happen to us: 'It's possible that not even 10 of us will come out alive'."

The surprise amphibious attack – along with those by US, Canadian and British forces on the now-legendary beaches of Utah, Omaha, Gold and Juno – roused Boerner from his sleep far away in Brittany, setting him and the rest of the elite 2nd Fallschirmjaeger (parachute) unit on a 220-mile march to Normandy to shore up German defences and try to break the Allied bridgehead.

"The night of the 6th of June we were woken up with an alarm – 'The Allied troops are landing in Normandy!'," Boerner said. "We left for Saint-Lo, but we went on foot – 350km."

Gautier and Boerner were never in the same place at the same time in Normandy, but they retain kindred memories – the impenetrable hedgerows that snared tanks and hid snipers, hearing the voice of the enemy just metres away, the mosquitoes that infested the flooded valleys, the small green apples that were too sour to eat, and the smell of human corpses rotting in the heat.

Forced to evacuate Saint-Lo on July 17 with the approach of the Americans, Boerner and his German unit began a series of retreats to the interior, eventually finding themselves trapped in the "Cauldron", the Battle of the Falaise Pocket, encircled by Allied forces.

"The approach to Falaise was horrendous. They were all around us with their tanks, especially their planes, they just didn't let up," said Boerner. "There were bodies everywhere... there were 10,000 dead on the approach to Falaise."

Hungry, lice-ridden and demoralised, Boerner and his comrades from dispersed German units rifled the pockets of dead soldiers for cigarettes or food.

"We had nothing left. Our uniforms were dirty, in tatters... How were we going to get out of this?"

On August 21, after days of aerial and artillery bombardment, and unable to escape eastward through a narrow gap the Germans dubbed "the corridor of death", Boerner was taken prisoner by the Canadians.

He was one of the lucky ones – of Boerner's original company of 120 men, only nine survived.

"Falaise was one of the greatest killing grounds of the war," General Dwight Eisenhower later wrote in his memoirs. "It was literally possible to walk for hundreds of yards at a time, stepping on nothing but dead and decaying flesh."

For Boerner, prisoner of war camps and forced farm labour were his life until 1947. The Leipzig of his youth now in ruins and under Soviet control, Boerner decided that his new chapter would find him right where he already was – in Normandy.

Gautier was shipped back to Britain after three months of fighting in Normandy, one of only 25 French commandos to escape death or wounding in the Battle of Normandy.

Deployments in Britain, France and even Cameroon preceded a permanent move home to France for a career as a claims adjuster. After retirement, he moved to Ouistreham, and met Boerner at the latter's restaurant in the town, the "Chateaubriand".

A book about the two men, "Ennemis et frères" (Enemies and Brothers) by Jean-Charles Stasi, was published in 2010.

Boerner, his living room decorated with a cuckoo clock and beer steins, still has a full head of hair and the same gentle look that he had in his eye when he was photographed in his Luftwaffe uniform at the start of the war.

"I hope we never see another war like this because it's just not possible... The young men, the young men on the front there, shooting machine guns, it's just not possible. Freedom and peace, that's all I can tell you."

Gautier thinks about the flowers that he'll be laying on his fallen comrades' graves next month.

"For the young people – they need to know all about this," he said. "It cannot happen again. We have to be vigilant." – Reuters, May 13, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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New book reveals Snowden relaxed, jocular on revelations

Posted: 12 May 2014 07:52 PM PDT

May 13, 2014

Photos of Edward Snowden, a contractor at the US National Security Agency (NSA), and US President Barack Obama are printed on the front pages of newspapers in Hong Kong in this file illustration photo taken on June 11, 2013. – Reuters pic, May 13, 2014.Edward Snowden was "profoundly at peace" with his decision to leak national security documents, and even joked about the consequences, journalist Glenn Greenwald says in a new book.

"I call the bottom bunk at Gitmo," Snowden joked, referring to the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, says the book to be released today, excerpts of which were published yesterday in The Guardian.

Greenwald, recounting the series of discussions last year in Hong Kong when the former National Security Agency contractor decided to reveal his identity, said Snowden appeared to sleep soundly and was "completely refreshed the next day" despite the tension.

"Snowden had seemed unbothered" by the prospect of facing US prosecution for releasing the classified materials on NSA surveillance programmes, Greenwald wrote, adding that "a giddy gallows humour crept into our dealings".

"When we asked him about his ability to sleep so well under the circumstances, Snowden said that he felt profoundly at peace with what he had done and so the nights were easy," said Greenwald, who met with Snowden in Hong Kong with Laura Poitras and Ewen MacAskill.

"'I figure I have very few days left with a comfortable pillow,'" he joked, 'so I might as well enjoy them.'"

Greenwald also described manoeuvres that allowed Snowden to avoid a throng of journalists in Hong Kong looking for him after the video in which he revealed his identity was released on The Guardian website.

He wrote that two human rights lawyers arrived at the hotel where Snowden and three journalists were staying to assist Snowden, but that Greenwald had to find a way to get him away without confronting the horde of media.

Snowden said he had a way to make himself "unrecognisable" but they needed a way to get him away without being followed, Greenwald wrote.

"We came up with a plan: I would walk out of the hotel room with (Guardian lawyer Gill) Phillips and go down to the lobby to lure the reporters, still waiting outside our door, to follow me," the journalist wrote.

Snowden was waiting with the two human rights lawyers, waiting for word that the coast was clear.

"The ruse worked," said the excerpt. "After 30 minutes of chatting with Phillips in a shopping centre attached to the hotel, I went back up to my room and anxiously called one of the lawyers on his mobile phone."

Snowden and the two lawyers got out through the hotel just before a group of journalists started swarming the lobby, according to the book. Greenwald was not apprised of Snowden's exact whereabouts, and only later learned that he had gone to Moscow.

Greenwald said he wanted to return to his home in Brazil, and was preparing to fly through New York "just to make the point that I could and would," but that a lawyer advised him against changing planes in the United States.

"You've just enabled the biggest national security leak in US history and gone all over TV with the most defiant message possible," the lawyer told him.

The book, "No Place to Hide", is being released in Britain by Hamish Hamilton and in the United States by Metropolitan Books. – Reuters, May 13, 2014.

New book portrays Snowden relaxed, jocular on revelations

Posted: 12 May 2014 07:52 PM PDT

May 13, 2014

"'I figure I have very few days left with a comfortable pillow,'" he joked, 'so I might as well enjoy them.'"

Snowden said he had a way to make himself "unrecognisable" but they needed a way to get him away without being followed, Greenwald wrote.

Snowden was waiting with the two human rights lawyers, waiting for word that the coast was clear.

"You've just enabled the biggest national security leak in US history and gone all over TV with the most defiant message possible," the lawyer told him.

The book, "No Place to Hide", is being released in Britain by Hamish Hamilton and in the United States by Metropolitan Books. – Reuters, May 13, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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Repeal of Sedition Act: a promise unfulfilled

Posted: 12 May 2014 04:40 PM PDT

May 13, 2014

Jeyaseelen Anthony is an advocate and a councillor of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). He also heads the Centre for Constitutional Research and Education Malaysia.

In July 12, 2012, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was quoted by Bernama as saying that repealing the Sedition Act 1948 was not just empty talk in bringing about political transformation.

"We don't just talk or make announcements (on transformation), we act. Some of the laws we introduced we have enforced, this (repealing of the Sedition Act) is the latest step to show the government is in tune with the people," he said.

To date, since Muhyiddin's statement, the National Harmony Act has still not been tabled in Parliament and Sedition Act 1948 has not been repealed as promised. All the talk by Muhyiddin that "we just don't talk or make announcements, we act" has gone down the drain and remains nothing but pure rhetoric.

Any right thinking Malaysian would expect that once a law is declared archaic and up for repeal, the authorities will refrain from using such a law. However the opposite has been the case here: more and more people are being charged and convicted under the Sedition Act particularly after the 13th general elections.

The late Karpal Singh was convicted by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in March this year, the state assemblyman for Sri Muda, Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei, was charged for sedtion and his case is still pending in court, while Hindraf leader, P. Uthayakumar was convicted for sedition and is serving a one year prison sentence in Kajang Prison.

The latest victim of the Sedition Act is the Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, who was charged for publishing seditious words in her "Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014" video clip.

From this latest episode, i.e., the charging of Teresa Kok, an elected representative who had the biggest vote majority in Malaysia's history, it is proof that the government has not kept its word and does not intend to keep its promise to repeal the Sedition Act.

One would expect that after an announcement is made by the Prime Minister himself that the Sedition Act would be repealed, all pending charges under the act will be immediately withdrawn.

However, no such action has been forthcoming by the Attorney-General, hence the A-G has failed in his duties as the country's top legal adviser to exercise his discretion under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution.

The A-G's Chambers also rejected a petition initiated by Malaysian Centre for Constitutional Research and Education (MCRC), endorsed by 33 Malaysian NGOs, calling for the immediate withdrawal of sedition charges against the late Karpal and many others.

The A-G's Chambers, in a letter, said that they had no reason to withdraw the charge against Karpal. I acknowledge that the A-G is under no legal duty to do so as the Sedition Act is still in force, but his office must surely be guided by good conscience and morality to do the right thing.

Even if the A-G argues that he has a duty to enforce the law as it exists currently, that argument falls flat as his office has failed to enforce the law against people like Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin, even after several police reports were lodged against these racial bigots. I myself had lodged a report against Ibrahim Ali at the Petaling Jaya police station last year, when he made the call on Muslims to burn the Al-Kitab, but no action has been taken.

The last time I checked the Penal Code and the Sedition Act, all the infamous statements by these bigots fall squarely under these laws, yet no charge has been brought against them.

Are they above the law or is the A-G's Chambers powerless to act against them or just plain biased? The A-G must be reminded that under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, all persons are equal before the law, and this means no person should be subjected to selective prosecution by the A-G.

The A-G must take cognisance of the decision of the Privy Council in Teh Cheng Poh v Public Prosecutor, in which Lord Diplock said in his speech:

"All that equality before the law requires, is that the case of all potential defendants to criminal charges shall be given unbiased consideration by the prosecuting authority and that decisions whether or not to prosecute in a particular case for a particular offence should not be dictated by some irrelevant consideration."

It is quite clear that the prosecution of Teresa Kok for sedition and others charged and convicted under the Sedition Act 1948 lately, were motivated by some irrelevant consideration or reasons best known to the A-G himself. Otherwise, why didn't he charge Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Nordin under the Penal Code, despite police reports lodged against them? This is the lingering question in the minds of most right thinking Malaysians and I think they deserve an answer from the A-G. – May 13, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Isma perlu cari buku sejarah sekolah menengah

Posted: 12 May 2014 04:00 PM PDT

May 13, 2014

Md Izwan adalah wartawan The Malaysian Insider. ‎Beliau berkicau di @izwan_noborders.

Musim ini adalah musim Isma, atau nama panjangnya Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia.

Pertubuhan ini mengakui mereka menyuarakan suara majoriti Muslim di Malaysia dengan hanya 20 ribu ahli, tapi Isma terlupa rakyat Malaysia mempunyai 30 juta penduduk.

Anda lakukan kira-kira Matematik, berapa peratus ahli pertubuhan tersebut jika dibandingkan keseluruhan rakyat Malaysia yang membentuk negara majmuk ini.

Adakah mereka majoriti? Sekali lagi rakyat boleh pertimbangkan sebaik mungkin, rakyat boleh berfikir.

Sebelum itu, adakah Isma mempunyai wakil didalam Dewan Rakyat yang terpilih dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13 lalu? Daripada 222 Ahli Parlimen yang dipilih majoriti rakyat Malaysia, Isma tidak mewakili satu pun suara majoriti rakyat Malaysia.

Mereka wajar berterima kasih kepada sistem demokrasi yang dirayakan menerusi kenyataan cetek dan atas dasar sejarah ciptaan mereka sendiri, menuduh bukan Melayu sebagai penceroboh dan mengganggap bukan Islam sebagai musuh.

Terima kasih kepada demokrasi dan transformasi perdana menteri, kalau tidak keberanian anda akan berakhir ditarbiah dalam Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA).

Kalau ini terjadi apa berlaku? Sama seperti presiden Perkasa, melaungkan semangat kaum sehinggalah kemudiaannya dilantik Ahli Lembaga Pengarah Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Bezanya Isma dengan Perkasa, satu bijak mencatur politik manakala Isma bukan parti politik.

Saya tidak pernah dengar mengenai Isma. Sejak kali pertama saya terdedah kepada dunia politik negara pada 1998, semasa PRU13 lalu baru saya mengetahui mereka.

Sekali lagi, terima kasih kepada demokrasi kerana memberikan Isma keberanian tidak kecut menjadi pembela agama.

Saya tidak pernah ada masalah dengan rakyat Malaysia kaum lain, Cina atau India, Kristian atau Buddha, malah saya tidak terasa ada ancaman daripada rakan-rakan bukan sebangsa lain.

Untuk pengetahuan Isma, setiap ketika saya terasa nak ke masid saya masih bebas untuk ke masjid tanpa ada sekatan.

Walaupun masjid di Bangsar, dikelilingi kelab dan bar, saya masih boleh berjalan melintasi warung bukan alkohol dan tidak halal untuk ke masjid di Bangsar.

Saya tidak rasa agama saya terancam. Apa justifikasi Isma mengatakan Islam terancam, saya semakin bingung.

Mengatakan Cina adalah penceroboh atau apa saja tanggapan anda di sebelah Isma, saya lihat ramai anak Melayu yang bekerja dengan Cina.

Malah, adik saya bekerja dengan syarikat majoriti Cina. Adik saya masih makan tengahari bersama walaupun ada hidangan tidak halal memandangkan sebelah warung adalah peniaga halal.

Kalau peniaga halal dan haram boleh berniaga bersebelahan, jadi apakah salahnya untuk kita hidup berjiran dan aman damai bersama?

Mungkin Isma tidak pernah ada rakan bukan Melayu, atau mungkin mereka tidak berjalan melintasi pub dan bar sebelum ke masjid di Bangsar.

Kehadiran kaum Cina dan India ke Tanah Melayu pada suatu ketika dahulu atas niat berdagang, mengatakan British membawa masuk mereka saya anggap tidak tepat sama sekali.

Adakah Isma terlupa membaca sejarah Melaka semasa sekolah menengah?

Syor saya, singgah sebentar di Borders atau Kinokuniya di KLCC untuk membeli buku sejarah sekolah menengah supaya jelas pendirian dan tidak mengeluarkan sejarah yang ditulis sendiri berdasarkan kitab Isma. – 13 Mei, 2014.

* Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

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Ahmad Razif mulakan tugas MB Terengganu secara rasmi esok

Posted: 13 May 2014 03:17 AM PDT

May 13, 2014

Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman (gambar) dijangka memulakan tugasnya sebagai Menteri Besar Terengganu secara rasmi esok.

Menurut Unit Komunikasi Negeri Terengganu, Ahmad Razif difahamkan akan memasuki pejabat Menteri Besar di Tingkat Enam, Wisma Darul Iman pada pukul 7.45 pagi.

Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi, Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air negeri itu, semalam dilantik sebagai menteri besar Terengganu yang baharu menggantikan Datuk Seri Ahmad Said yang meletakkan jawatan.

Beliau mengangkat sumpah jawatan itu di hadapan Sultan Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin di Istana Syarqiyyah di Kuala Terengganu pada 9.18 malam tadi.

Ahmad Razif, 49, Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Seberang Takir selama dua penggal sejak 2008 merupakan lulusan Sarjana Sains dalam Bimbingan dan Kaunseling dari Universiti Putra Malaysia, pernah menyandang jawatan Exco Pelajaran, Pengajian Tinggi, Sains, Teknologi dan Sumber Manusia.

Beliau juga menjadi Ketua Penerangan Umno Terengganu pada penggal lepas.

Antara Menteri Besar Terengganu sejak 1959 ialah Mohd Daud Abdul Samad dari PAS (1959-1960), Tan Sri Ibrahim Fikri Mohamad dari Umno (1960-1970), Datuk Mahmood Sulaiman dari Umno (1970-1971), Datuk Nik Hassan Wan Abdul Rahman dari Umno (1971-1974), Tan Sri Wan Mokhtar Ahmad dari Umno (1974-1999), Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dari PAS (1999-2004), Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh dari Umno (2004-2008) dan Datuk Seri Ahmad Said dari Umno (2008-12 Mei 2014). – Bernama, 13 Mei, 2014.

Penduduk Hulu Terengganu kecewa tindakan wakil rakyat Ajil keluar Umno

Posted: 13 May 2014 03:07 AM PDT

May 13, 2014

Lebih 50 penduduk kampung di Hulu Terengganu yang majoritinya anggota Umno Hulu Terengganu meluahkan rasa kecewa dengan tindakan Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Ajil, Ghazali Taib (gambar), 52, keluar Umno.

Mereka berkumpul berhampiran kediaman wakil rakyat berkenaan petang ini dengan membawa sepanduk sebagai tanda kecewa dengan tindakan pemimpin itu.

Seorang penduduk kampung, Mohd Wahid Ngah, 53, berkata perkara sebegini tidak sepatutnya berlaku dan Adun berkenaan perlu akur dan patuh pada keputusan pucuk pimpinan parti.

Katanya mereka sebagai penyokong setia Umno sanggup mengorbankan masa, tenaga dan sebagainya bagi memastikan Barisan Nasional (BN) terus kekal memerintah di Terengganu khusus di kawasan mereka sendiri.

"Saya amat kecewa dengan tindakan wakil rakyat (Ghazali) di kawasan ini, kami sanggup memberikan sokongan padu dan kepercayaan kepada beliau untuk membela dan melakukan perubahan di sini namun tindakan sedemikian yang dilakukannya," katanya kepada Bernama.

Bekas Ketua Umno Cawangan Kampung Jak, Saad Mustafa, 52, menyifatkan tindakan Ghazali itu sebagai bukti beliau bukannya anggota Umno yang sejati.

"Bagi saya dia bukan seorang ahli parti yang setia, jika tidak dia tidak akan melakukan keputusan yang terburu-buru tanpa memikirkan kesan di sebalik semua keputusan tersebut dan langsung tidak menghargai sumbangan ahli parti yang lain," katanya.

Naib Ketua Pemuda Umno Cawangan Menerong, Mohd Faizal Mustapa, 30, berharap kemelut itu dapat diselesaikan dengan cara terbaik dan berhemah.

"Kami masih mengharapkan jawapan dan status kedudukan sebenar Adun berkenaan dengan melepaskan jawatan tersebut...mereka juga berharap Umno pusat serta negeri dapat menyelesaikan kemelut ini dengan secepat mungkin," katanya.

Ghazali juga merupakan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pelajaran, Pengajian Tinggi, Inovasi dan Tugas-tugas Khas negeri.

Pada pilihan raya umum ke-13 Mei tahun lalu Ghazali menewaskan Mohd Razki Yah Alias (PAS) dengan majoriti 2,782 undi.

Selain Ghazali, bekas Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said (Adun Kijal) dan Roslee Daud (Adun Bukit Besi) yang juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Luar Bandar, Usahawan, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan negeri turut mengisytiharkan keluar Umno dan menjadi Adun Bebas. – Bernama, 13 Mei, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Selasa, 13 Mei 2014