CS Lewis to be honoured in Poets' Corner

Published by BBC News on 22 November 2012.

A memorial stone to writer and scholar CS Lewis is to be placed in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey in 2013. A service will take place on 22 November 2013 to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Lewis will join such greats as John Keats, William Blake and TS Eliot in a tradition going back 600 years.

Vernon White, Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey, said Lewis was an "extraordinarily imaginative and rigorous thinker and writer". Lewis, he continued, "was able to convey the Christian faith in a way that made it both credible and attractive to a wide range of people". The author, he said, had "had an enduring and growing influence in our national life".

Lewis (1898-1963) is best remembered for writing The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of books that has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first instalment in the saga, was published in 1950 and has been adapted since for stage, TV and film.

Other works by the Belfast-born novelist, essayist and literary critic include The Screwtape Letters, The Space Trilogy and the non-fiction titles Mere Christianity and Miracles. 

Former poet laureate Ted Hughes was the most recent writer to be commemorated at the Abbey with a posthumous memorial stone. His memorial was unveiled by Seamus Heaney at a service held in December last year.

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20426778#TWEET383477

UK court vindicates Christian demoted for opposing gay ‘marriage’

By Hilary White.

MANCHESTER, November 23, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A court in Manchester has ruled that when Adrian Smith wrote on Facebook that he objected to government plans to create “same-sex marriage.” he was not committing an act of “professional misconduct.” Smith, 55, a property manager in Manchester, was demoted and had his pay cut by his employers, who alleged that his comment constituted an act of “gross professional misconduct.”

Smith had commented on his Facebook page that the redefinition of marriage planned by the coalition government is “an equality too far.”

“The Bible is quite specific that marriage is for men and women,” Smith wrote. “If the State wants to offer civil marriages to the same sex then that is up to the State; but the State shouldn’t impose its rules on places of faith and conscience.”

The court ruled that Smith’s employer, Trafford Housing Trust, a branch of the local municipal government, had acted unlawfully in breaching the terms of its contract with Smith, and had no right to demote him. Mr. Smith made the comments on his own time and in a venue where they could not be read by the general public, the court observed. The Trust claimed, however, that he had broken the code of conduct for employees by making comments that “might offend co-workers”.

Mr. Smith said he was “pleased” with the outcome of the year-long case. “Britain is a free country where people have freedom of speech, and I am pleased that the judge’s ruling underlines that important principle,” Smith said. “But this sad case should never have got this far. Long ago, Trafford Housing Trust should have held their hands up and admitted they made a terrible mistake.”

The case prompted lawyer and religious discrimination law expert Neil Addison to comment that “the obsession with hate crime and hate speech has created a new generation of publicly paid heresy-hunters.”

Link:

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/uk-court-vindicates-christian-demoted-for-opposing-gay-marriage

Green Walk ends near Dataran amid blockade

By Leven Woon. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 25 November 2012.

Thousands of Green Walk marchers today gathered along Jalan Raja after their route to Dataran Merdeka were blocked off by the authorities. The marchers then decided to sit down by the road, facing a police barricade that stopped them from entering Dataran Merdeka which has been cordoned off since yesterday.

The police have also informed the marchers that no action would be taken as long as the police barricade remained unbreached. At the same time, the marchers also formed a volunteer team to form a human chain to keep the other marchers from breaching the police barricade. The marchers were been joined by some Pakatan leaders.

Earlier, the organisers said the marchers had gathered at the Sentul market at about 1pm today before embarking on the last leg of the 300km march from Kuantan which started 13 days ago. The march started on Nov 12 by Himpunan Hijau chairman Wong Tack to campaign against the controversial Lynas rare earth plant in Gebeng as well as to highlight other environmental issues.

The crowd later broke into jubilation when Wong Tack arrived at the scene at 5.30pm. “The people have risen, the choice is in our hand,” he said while addressing the crowd. He said the marchers travelled through 15 townships during their trek, in which he saw more and more people coming forward to “defend the future of the country”. “We are not the last generation of this country, we will take responsibility, we will make the country better,” he told the cheering crowd.

The crowd, which at one point rose to about 10,000, then dispersed soon after, leaving only about 300 marchers behind as at 6pm... These marchers are planning to follow through with their original plan of camping at Dataran Merdeka for the night. Wong Tack said the marchers would follow instructions from the authorities but would not disperse.

“Tonight I decided to set foot here, I will talk to the nature. Tomorrow I’ll be here to witness the sunlight,” he said. However, Wong’s energetic speech was followed by Dang Wangi police chief Zainuddin Ahmad’s announcement that Wong would be investigated under Section 9(5)  of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

He said Wong as the organiser has failed to apply for an assembly permit as required under Section 9(1) of the same act. Additionally, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) also said that the marchers were prohibited to step into Dataran Merdeka because it was undergoing renovation.

In reply, Wong argued that he was not the organiser of the march because “everyone came on their own initiative”. He also mocked the authorities for their “hospitality”. “Along the way, every schools, businesses, villages and mosques opened their doors for us. But now that we have arrived at Dataran, after 55 years of independence, we are not allowed to set foot inside and rest,” he said.

Wong also urged everyone to gather at the spot tomorrow for the “People’s Assembly” to decide the next move. Traffic along Jalan Raja too returned to normal at about 6.30pm.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said the group had breached the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011 as it was a street gathering and some of the participants have brought their children along. There were also no presence of police water cannon trucks or the Federal Reserve Units at Dataran Merdeka today.

Link: 

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/11/25/police-barricade-stops-marchers-from-dataran/

ASEAN Human Rights Declaration

Published on 19 November 2012.

PHNOM PENH (The Cambodia Herald) - Herewith the full text of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration

adopted by Southeast Asian leaders Sunday:

WE, the Heads of State/Government of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (hereinafter referred to as "ASEAN"), namely Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, on the occasion of the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

REAFFIRMING our adherence to the purposes and principles of ASEAN as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, in particular the respect for and promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance;

REAFFIRMING FURTHER our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of the United Nations, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and other international human rights instruments to which ASEAN Member States are parties;

REAFFIRMING ALSO the importance of ASEAN’s efforts in promoting human rights, including the Declaration of the Advancement of Women in the ASEAN Region and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN Region;

CONVINCED that this Declaration will help establish a framework for human rights cooperation in the region and contribute to the ASEAN community building process;

HEREBY DECLARE AS FOLLOWS:

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. All persons are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of humanity.

2. Every person is entitled to the rights and freedoms set forth herein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, gender, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic status, birth, disability or other status.

3. Every person has the right of recognition everywhere as a person before the law.  Every person is equal before the law. Every person is entitled without discrimination to equal protection of the law.

4. The rights of women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, migrant workers, and vulnerable and marginalised groups are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

5. Every person has the right to an effective and enforceable remedy, to be determined by a court or other competent authorities, for acts violating the rights granted to that person by the constitution or by law.

6. The enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms must be balanced with the performance of corresponding duties as every person has responsibilities to all other individuals, the community and the society where one lives. It is ultimately the primary responsibility of all ASEAN Member States to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

7. All human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. All human rights and fundamental freedoms in this Declaration must be treated in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis. At the same time, the realisation of human rights must be considered in the regional and national context bearing in mind different political, economic, legal, social, cultural, historical and religious backgrounds.

8. The human rights and fundamental freedoms of every person shall be exercised with due regard to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others.  The exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others, and to meet the just requirements of national security, public order, public health, public safety, public morality, as well as the general welfare of the peoples in a democratic society.

9. In the realisation of the human rights and freedoms contained in this Declaration, the principles of impartiality, objectivity, non-selectivity, non-discrimination, non-confrontation and avoidance of double standards and politicisation, should always be upheld. The process of such realisation shall take into account peoples’ participation, inclusivity and the need for accountability.

CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS

10. ASEAN Member States affirm all the civil and political rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Specifically, ASEAN Member States affirm the following rights and fundamental freedoms:

11. Every person has an inherent right to life which shall be protected by law. No person shall be deprived of life save in accordance with law.

12. Every person has the right to personal liberty and security. No person shall be subject to arbitrary arrest, search, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty.

13. No person shall be held in servitude or slavery in any of its forms, or be subject to human smuggling or trafficking in persons, including for the purpose of trafficking in human organs.

14. No person shall be subject to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

15. Every person has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State. Every person has the right to leave any country including his or her own, and to return to his or her country.

16. Every person has the right to seek and receive asylum in another State in accordance with the laws of such State and applicable international agreements.

17. Every person has the right to own, use, dispose of and give that person’s lawfully acquired possessions alone or in association with others. No person shall be arbitrarily deprived of such property.

18. Every person has the right to a nationality as prescribed by law. No person shall be arbitrarily deprived of such nationality nor denied the right to change that nationality.

19. The family as the natural and fundamental unit of society is entitled to protection by society and each ASEAN Member State. Men and women of full age have the right to marry on the basis of their free and full consent, to found a family and to dissolve a marriage, as prescribed by law.

20. (1) Every person charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a fair and public trial, by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal, at which  the accused is guaranteed the right to defence. 

      (2) No person shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed and no person shall suffer greater punishment for an offence than was prescribed by law at the time it was committed.

      (3) No person shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he or she has already been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each ASEAN Member State.

21. Every person has the right to be free from arbitrary interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence including personal data, or to attacks upon that person’s honour and reputation. Every person has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

22. Every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. All forms of intolerance, discrimination and incitement of hatred based on religion and beliefs shall be eliminated.

23. Every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information, whether orally, in writing or through any other medium of that person’s choice.

24. Every person has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.

25. (1)  Every person who is a citizen of his or her country has the right to participate in the government of his or her country, either directly or indirectly through democratically elected representatives, in accordance with national law.

       (2) Every citizen has the right to vote in periodic and genuine elections, which should be by universal and equal suffrage and by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors, in accordance with national law.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

26. ASEAN Member States affirm all the economic, social and cultural rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Specifically, ASEAN Member States affirm the following:

27. (1) Every person has the right to work, to the free choice of employment, to enjoy just, decent and favourable conditions of work and to have access to assistance schemes for the unemployed. 

      (2) Every person has the right to form trade unions and join the trade union of his or her choice for the protection of his or her interests, in accordance with national laws and regulations.

      (3) No child or any young person shall be subjected to economic and social exploitation. Those who employ children and young people in work harmful to their morals or health, dangerous to life, or likely to hamper their normal development, including their education should be punished by law.  ASEAN Member States should also set age limits below which the paid employment of child labour should be prohibited and punished by law.

28. Every person has the right to an adequate standard of living for himself or herself and his or her family including:

a.The right to adequate and affordable food, freedom from hunger and access to safe and nutritious food;

b. The right to clothing;

c. The right to adequate and affordable housing;

d. The right to medical care and necessary social services;

e. The right to safe drinking water and sanitation;

f. The right to a safe, clean and sustainable environment.

29. (1)  Every person has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical, mental and reproductive health, to basic and affordable health-care services, and to have access to medical facilities.

       (2)  The ASEAN Member States shall create a positive environment in overcoming stigma, silence, denial and discrimination in the prevention, treatment, care and support of people suffering from communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

30. (1)  Every person shall have the right to social security, including social insurance where available, which assists him or her to secure the means for a dignified and decent existence.

     (2) Special protection should be accorded to mothers during a reasonable period as determined by national laws and regulations before and after childbirth. During such period, working mothers should be accorded paid leave or leave with adequate social security benefits.

      (3)  Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. Every child, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

31. (1) Every person has the right to education.

    (2) Primary education shall be compulsory and made available free to all. Secondary education in its different forms shall be available and accessible to all through every appropriate means. Technical and vocational education shall be made generally available. Higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

      (3)  Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of his or her dignity. Education shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in ASEAN Member States.  Furthermore, education shall enable all persons to participate effectively in their respective societies, promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial and religious groups, and enhance the activities of ASEAN for the maintenance of peace.

32.  Every person has the right, individually or in association with others, to freely take part in cultural life, to enjoy the arts and the benefits of scientific progress and its applications and to benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or appropriate artistic production of which one is the author.

33.  ASEAN Member States should take steps, individually and through regional and international assistance and cooperation, especially economic and technical, to the maximum of its available resources, with a view to achieving progressively the full realisation of economic, social and cultural rights recognised in this Declaration.

34.  ASEAN Member States may determine the extent to which they would guarantee the economic and social rights found in this Declaration to non-nationals, with due regard to human rights and the organisation and resources of their respective national economies.

RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT

35. The right to development is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and the peoples of ASEAN are entitled to participate in, contribute to, enjoy and benefit equitably and sustainably from economic, social, cultural and political development. The right to development should be fulfilled so as to meet equitably the developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations. While development facilitates and is necessary for the enjoyment of all human rights, the lack of development may not be invoked to justify the violations of internationally recognised human rights.

36. ASEAN Member States should adopt meaningful people-oriented and gender responsive development programmes aimed at poverty alleviation, the creation of conditions including the protection and sustainability of the environment for the peoples of ASEAN to enjoy all human rights recognised in this Declaration on an equitable basis, and the progressive narrowing of the development gap within ASEAN.

37. ASEAN Member States recognise that the implementation of the right to development requires effective development policies at the national level as well as equitable economic relations, international cooperation and a favourable international economic environment. ASEAN Member States should mainstream the multidimensional aspects of the right to development into the relevant areas of ASEAN community building and beyond, and shall work with the international community to promote equitable and sustainable development, fair trade practices and effective international cooperation.

RIGHT TO PEACE

38. Every person and the peoples of ASEAN have the right to enjoy peace within an ASEAN framework of security and stability, neutrality and freedom, such that the rights set forth in this Declaration can be fully realised.  To this end, ASEAN Member States should continue to enhance friendship and cooperation in the furtherance of peace, harmony and stability in the region.

COOPERATION IN THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

39. ASEAN Member States share a common interest in and commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms which shall be achieved through, inter alia, cooperation with one another as well as with relevant national, regional and international institutions/organisations, in accordance with the ASEAN Charter.

40. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to perform any act aimed at undermining the purposes and principles of ASEAN, or at the destruction of any of the rights and fundamental freedoms set forth in this Declaration and international human rights instruments to which ASEAN Member States are parties.

Adopted by the Heads of State/Government of ASEAN Member States at Phnom Penh, Cambodia, this Eighteenth Day of November in the Year Two Thousand and Twelve, in one single original copy in the English Language.

Link:

http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/cambodia/detail/1?page=11&token=ODYwNjEzMDgzNTIzODcwMGIyNTNiZGRkZWM4ODM0

Rally against gay ‘marriage’ in France

By Thaddeus Baklinski.

FRANCE, November 19, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Hundreds of thousands of traditional marriage supporters demonstrated against same-sex “marriage” in France over the weekend. On Saturday, a nationwide rally drew an estimated 200,000 protesters in Paris according to organizers, with tens of thousands more attending rallies throughout the country.

Almost 30,000 traditional marriage supporters demonstrated in the city of Lyon, according to a Reuters report. Police there reported that 40 counter-protesters were arrested after they attempted to disrupt the rally. Police in Toulouse reported that tear gas was used to break up a group of homosexual activists who tried to interfere with the gathering of five thousand traditional marriage supporters.

Le Parisien reports that between 6,000 and 8,000 people demonstrated in Marseille, proving that, as one blogger quipped, “there are more than just drug dealers in the beleaguered city.” Marseille police said they used tear gas against counter-demonstrators who unfurled a banner that read, “Your model of society is dead, welcome to Sodom and Gomorrha,” and hurled insults at the traditional marriage demonstrators.

Saturday’s demonstrations were endorsed by leaders of the of the Catholic, Muslim, Protestant and Jewish communities, who demanded the government of President François Hollande reconsider the impact of changing “a foundation of society.”

Hollande made same-sex ‘marriage’ one of his presidential campaign promises, saying his government plans to legalize it by mid-2013. He also promised adoption rights for homosexual couples, and said that lesbian couples would have access to artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization.

The French Catholic Bishops have led the fight against the proposed legislation, with the cardinal archbishop of Paris saying same-sex “marriage” would harm the equilibrium of French society and of children. “It will not be ‘marriage for all’,” said Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, citing the government’s slogan, “it will be the marriage of a few imposed on all.”

“When we defend the right of children to build their personality with reference to the man and the woman who gave them life, we are not defending a particular position,” the cardinal archbishop said, “We are recognising what is expressed by the practices and the wisdom of all the peoples since the beginning of time and which modern specialists confirm.”

A second demonstration, organized by the conservative Catholic organization Civitas, took place in Paris on Sunday. Gloria TV reports that some 9,000 traditional marriage supporters, including many clergy, marched with banners saying “France needs children, not homosexuals,” and “Marriage = one man + one woman.”

Civitas official Alain Escada told those gathered that same-sex marriage was “a Pandora’s box” that would let others demand extended marriage rights, including polygamists and incestuous people. “Our objective is to wage a real battle to protect the family and child,” said Escada, whose group claims 1,200 members and a network of some 100,000 supporters.

AFP reports that the rally was marred by the appearance of members of Ukraine’s topless Femen counter-protesters wearing nuns’ veils and chanting, “in gay we trust.” An AFP reporter said when the bare-chested feminists moved toward the marchers, “some of (the protesters) ran after them.” The Femen women were taken into custody by police, ostensibly for their own protection, the reporter said.

The weekend’s marchers were encouraged by the words of Pope Benedict XVI, who called on French bishops visiting him in the Vatican to oppose the proposed legislation, saying, “the Church’s voice must make itself heard relentlessly and with determination.”

Link: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/hundreds-of-thousands-rally-against-gay-marriage-in-france

Pornography: A Habit That Can Destroy Lives

Published by The New York Times (Room for Debate) on 11 November 2012. By Gail Dines, a professor of sociology and women’s studies at Wheelock College in Boston, is the author of “Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality.” Robert Jensen, a professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, is the author “Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity.” They are founding members of Stop Porn Culture.

Assessing the effects of mass media is never simple, but the important questions about pornography are obvious: What happens when a culture is saturated with sexually explicit images eroticizing male domination and female subordination? When those images become increasingly cruel and degrading to women and increasingly racist? When pornography becomes the de facto sex education for most boys and an increasing number of girls?

These disturbing trends do not apply to all pornography. There are many varieties made by hundreds of small producers, but the porn industry around Los Angeles dominates, shaping cultural ideas about sexuality, relationships and intimacy. Just as the food industry shapes how we eat and the fashion industry shapes how we dress, the sex industry shapes the way we think about sex.

This dominant source of pornography has some consistent themes. The most extensive peer-reviewed study in the past decade found that a majority of scenes from 50 top-rented porn movies contained physical and verbal abuse of female performers. Physical aggression – including spanking, open-hand slapping and gagging – occurred in 88 percent of scenes, with expressions of verbal aggression – usually a man calling a woman derogatory names – in 48 percent.

Individual experiences as a viewer of pornography differ, and many men and some women report pleasurable experiences. But clear patterns emerge from more than 30 years of academic research and organizing informed by a feminist critique of pornography. In heterosexual couples, men who habitually use pornography sometimes withdraw from intimacy with female partners, and sometimes make demands on female partners for sexual acts that are uncomfortable, painful or degrading to the woman. Women in heterosexual relationships report that both these behaviors can destroy relationships, and men sometimes report that they are aware of the damage but cannot break the habit. 

Anyone who doubts these trends should talk to marriage therapists and divorce lawyers. 

Although there is little systematic research on performers, anecdotal evidence suggests it’s a harsh business for women. The industry portrays high-profile performers with glamorous lives, but producers and directors we’ve interviewed said candidly that the industry “chews up and spits out” women. According to the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation, which provided testing and health care for performers in Los Angeles until it closed last year, female performers are at risk for injuries and diseases. The group’s founder once said the average career of these women was “six months to three years, tops,” after which they must cope with a variety of physical and psychological problems. 

Pornography is the industrialization and commodification of sex, and like all big industries, its product is generic, formulaic and plasticized. These images tend to rob sex of its creativity, playfulness and intimacy, and hence are ultimately profoundly alienating. The performers, the consumers and the culture deserve better.

Link: 

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/11/11/does-pornography-deserve-its-bad-rap/a-pornography-habit-destroys-relationships

Prime Minister signed ASEAN’s first human rights declaration (AHRD) in Cambodia

By Clara Chooi. Published by The Malaysian Insider on 18 November 2012.

Today’s signing, which took place during the 21st ASEAN Summit at the Peace Palace in the capital city of Phnom Penh, comes at an opportune time for Malaysia and the Barisan Nasional (BN) government led by Najib, which has come under close international scrutiny for its alleged mishandling of several recent human rights issues.

“ASEAN shall pursue the protection and promotion of human rights in the region in our own way and also try to maintain the highest standard as expressed in various declarations and instruments of the international community,” ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan was quoted as saying in The Star Online.

According to media reports, the AHRD has a total of 40 clauses and covers areas like civil and political rights, economic, social ad cultural rights, developmental processes and peace enhancement. The declaration also states that the rights of women, children, elderly and disabled persons and migrant workers are integral and indivisible part of human rights and fundamental freedom, The Star reported.

Najib has found himself in the international spotlight on numerous occasions, taking the hit for his administration’s alleged heavy-handedness in dealing with matters concerning civil freedom, individual rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association.

Some key examples include the widespread crackdown on two pro-democracy rallies held by electoral reform movement Bersih 2.0 — one on July 9, 2011, and another on April 28 this year — which resulted in scene of chaos and violence on the streets of this usually peaceful capital city.

To dull the uproar, however, Najib has taken great pains to improve civil liberties in Malaysia, even agreeing to repeal the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Sedition Act, enacting a new law to regulate public gatherings, agreeing to allow student participation in politics and relaxing provisions in laws governing press freedom.

But after the last protest on April 28, foreign media reports predicted that the government’s handling of the event would likely undermine Najib’s image as a reformist and force the prime minister to delay the next general election.

Several newswires, picked up by major newspapers globally, also took the same stance, with Reuters reporting that police action raised “the risk of a political backlash that could delay national polls which had been expected as early as June.”

Agence France-Presse also said that “the rally poses a dilemma for Najib, who since last year’s crackdown has sought to portray himself as a reformer, launching a campaign to repeal authoritarian laws in a bid to create what he called ‘the greatest democracy’.”

Several reports pointed to the first Bersih rally held just months before the March 2008 elections, which saw BN record its worst electoral performance ever, ceding its customary two-thirds supermajority in Parliament and five state governments.

Najib took over from Tun Abdullah Badawi a year later, ostensibly to improve on the results and some observers say only a return to two-thirds majority will guarantee he remains Umno president.

Widespread condemnation from the international press of Putrajaya’s crack down on last July’s Bersih rally saw Najib announce a raft of reforms including a parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms and the Peaceful Assembly Act, a major concession to win back an alienated middle-class.

But the findings of a bipartisan panel have been criticised as cosmetic by civil society and the opposition and yesterday’s planned sit-in was the first major test of the new law regulating demonstrations the BN chief says abides by “international norms”.

The foreign press had at the time also widely carried global civil liberties watchdog Human Rights Watch’s criticism of the government, saying it showed “contempt for its people’s basic rights and freedoms.”

“Despite all the talk of ‘reform’ over the past year, we’re seeing a repeat of repressive actions by a government that does not hesitate to use force when it feels its prerogatives are challenged,” said Phil Robertson, its deputy Asia director.

Apart from Bersih, the BN administration has also earned itself international condemnation for bringing charges of sexual misconduct and sodomy against Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim numerous occasions, a move that the leader’s supporters have claimed was merely to stifle his campaign to topple the ruling pact.

Several cases of deaths in custody over the past few years had also cast the government in the spotlight for alleged human rights abuses. One example is the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock, whose death, which occurred while he was under the care of anti-graft officials, has continued to haunt the government since 2009.

Link:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-signs-aseans-first-human-rights-convention/

Deeply flawed ASEAN Human Rights Declaration must be postponed

In a letter sent today to ASEAN Heads of State, the ICJ and other leading international human rights organizations called for the postponement of the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration. The groups are pointing out that in its current form, the Declaration falls short of existing international human rights standards and risks creating a sub-standard level of human rights protection in the region.

Of particular concern are the General Principles in the Declaration. Under General Principles 6,7, and 8 of the current draft, enjoyment of rights is to be “balanced with the performance of duties”, subjected to “national and regional contexts” and to considerations of “different cultural, religious and historical backgrounds.” Also, all the rights in the Declaration may be restricted on a wide array of grounds including “national security” and “public morality”.

Read more here: http://www.icj.org/deeply-flawed-asean-human-rights-declaration-must-be-postponed/

Ultra-extravagant lifestyles of the Umno elite

Published by Malaysia Chronicle on 13 November 2012.

Voters are not oblivious to that fact that the government has wasted millions upon millions of public funds through lavishness, inefficiency and corruption, including the award of inflated contracts to cronies. UMNO-controlled Barisan has earned this infamous repute since Najib Abdul Razak took over as Prime Minister in April 2009.

Revelling in luxury

Blame not the rakyat for this impression and discernment. But could this sensation be due to mere perception or reality? To most voters, the government’s poor record under Najib’s administration is no more a matter of opinion but a reality.

The rakyat for sure are not going to be happy with pittance given to them before a general election.

RM500 given under BR1M, “artificial” discounts for low quality goods for some governmentally selected groups, low-quality goods found in 1Malaysia shop outlets, RM200 book vouchers for students and other paltry sums given to the rakyat are all but eyewash on the part of UMNO-led administration to lure votes from the innocent rakyat.

The rakyat however are aware of the over-the-top lifestyle enjoyed by some top leaders in UMNO and Barisan. Not only the leaders but also their family members are found to be revelling in luxury.

The rakyat are keen to know why so much money should be spent to upkeep UMNO and Barisan leaders and how their children and family could enjoy a posh lifestyle when the ordinary rakyat are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

High maintenance costs

It was reported that the government spent RM48.7 million of taxpayers’ money on the official residences of the Prime Minister and his Deputy from 2006 to 2010.

The amount spent on the residences for the four years can be used to build 1 000 low-cost houses for the poor at RM50 000 each. There are over 30 percent Malaysians who do not even own a decent home of their own. Many are still living as squatters in urban peripheries and in decrepit huts in most of the interior zones of the Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak.

A huge chunk of the amount, totalling close to RM33 million, was spent on rental fees. Both Seri Perdana and Sri Satria in Putrajaya are owned by the local authority, Putrajaya Holdings.

Besides that, as much as RM10.2 million was spent on electricity bills while RM3.5 million went to maintenance and RM1.96 million for water. Both the top leaders in UMNO spend an average of RM171 000 a month just on electricity when an average middle class family spend about RM80 to RM120 monthly.

The rakyat thus have their rights to chide the government for wasting public funds when they have to struggle to cope with the high costs of living and subsidy cuts.

Four years of opulent living

The government spent more than RM12 million to maintain the official residences of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister between 2008 and 2011 – sating their four years of opulent living.

The highest yearly maintenance costs for Seri Perdana was recorded in 2008, at RM1 896 616.80. For Sri Satria, it was in 2011, and the amount was RM1 455 804. UMNO top leaders have become ostentatious living in luxurious residences at the taxpayers’ expense.

Kelantan Menteri Besar, Nik Aziz Nik Mat, could give a wide berth to the flamboyance associated with UMNO leaders and lives a simple lifestyle.  Nik Aziz has been living in the same modest kampong home for more than 20 years and this has not affected his efficacy as Menteri Besar.

There are thousands in the country who cannot afford a decent shelter, thousands in Sabah and Sarawak and interior Peninsular Malaysia who have no supply of water and electricity.  And yet under UMNO administration they could afford to spend a fortune for their top leaders to stay in posh palaces at the expense of taxpayer’s money.

To the rakyat it boils down to UMNO leaders having a wastrel image and these leaders cannot hide this glitziness from the rakyat anymore.

Big spenders

Beyond that there were many other allegations against the leaders that the people find hard not to believe, or to forgive and forget. There are among them and their spouses and children big spenders. There were also persistent allegations on the high spending lifestyle of the Prime Minister’s wife, which has critically affected UMNO’s image.

It was revealed that RM409 767 was spent for the engagement reception for Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa's to Kazakh national Daniar Nazarbayev in June 2011. Leaders seem to have an expensive taste splurging their wealth but the rakyat cannot keep on paying for the leaders’ savour.

It was also alleged that RM79 053 was spent on the Najib’s birthday party on July 24 last year. The event took place at Sri Perdana, Putrajaya with around 100 guests. Najib claimed that he personally foot the bills for both the events.

Far west of Kuala Lumpur, RM600 000 was luxuriated on an UMNO  chief minister son's wedding reception that many observers claimed could have cost the minister around RM1.3 million.

An ordinary Malay wedding would cost 60 times lower than this figure. Many could not even afford a wedding that would cost them more than RM 10 000.

Spending in dribs and drabs and showiness has become the trademark of some UMNO leaders and this does not bode well with the ordinary rakyat who have lesser resources to survive. Of course there are some ministers and their family members who have become too boastful and morphed into the “untouchables” living like maharajas in “kingdoms” of their own.

They are the filthy rich living in huge mansions, driving expensive cars and spending wastefully on overseas trips while staying in star-studded hotels, shopping and bashing at high-end joints which are appealing to sophisticated and discerning customers.  This is in fact an open secret.

Asking the rakyat to be economical in spending does not make sense when leaders live an extravagant lifestyle and spend wastefully.

Costly official visits

It was reported that the government spent RM17 million and RM8 million the Prime Minister’s and his Deputy’s travel expenses respectively since 2008.

It was reported in November 2011 that the total expenses for the Prime Minister and his wife  and his deputy and wife for official  visits from 2008 to 2011 amounted to more than RM20 million.

The Prime Minister and wife spent RM 1 739 332.85 (2008), RM4 811 837.48 (2009) RM5 140 307.99 (2010) and RM 5 427 172.26 until Jun 2011. And the overall costs for the deputy and wife for travelling expenses within the same period was RM8 020 328.07.

Can this be abuse of taxpayers’ money? A leader cannot claim to be “berjiwa rakyat” (people centric) when such an amount was spent just within a few years in office when majority Malaysians are facing tough times facing the escalating living costs.

The Prime Minister has spent RM10.1 million for his overseas visits for the past three years.  The short visit to Kazakhstan with a big contingent to attend the World Economic Forum in June last year cost the taxpayers RM1.2 million.

The two-day Prime Minister’s visit to Turkmenistan 11 and 12 July last year came to RM323 268.19. It was reported that RM9.1 million was spent on rent payment of a private jet for their travels. It was also alleged that the jet was used for his private visit to Perth, Australia on 31 August to 3 September last year.

Nation has debts

Of course leaders can claim that they deserve all these treats and privileges as they suppose the nation has the wealth to sustain their spending sprees.

The country’s external debt last year stood at RM257.2 billion. The debt comprised loans that the government had obtained from the private sectors outside the country. The national debt that encompasses the Federal Government external debt, Non-Financial Public Enterprise and private sector was 30.2 per cent from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The government’s total debt that included external and internal sources was RM456.1 billion or 53.5 per cent from the GDP, as end of last year.  A large portion of the government’s debt was made up of internal debt of RM438 billion while the remainder, of external, at RM18.1 billion.

The country has been experiencing a deficit budget for the past 14 continuous years and the majority rakyat are burdened with high costs of living and low standard of living.   Many ordinary poor rakyat may not be aware of this.

No mechanisms on how to bring down prices of essentials have come out from the many high-sounding acronyms coined by the government. Pay increase for some sectors has only exacerbated inflation that has burdened the poor.

As a consequence, the rich are enjoying life and the poor are pushed to the corner to recline in the drought of dust and dearth.

Defence procurement

Extravagance will lead to more borrowing and also higher costs of living that will affect the ordinary people most. The government bought two refurbished submarines that were initially not equipped with war weaponries at a whopping RM3.4 billion.

It was reported that the costs to maintain the Scorpene submarines named KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Razak was RM500 – this comes to 10 times more than the anticipated initial costs of RM50 million a year.

A local company and Boustead DCNS Naval Corporation Sdn Bhd were appointed to do the maintenance work.

The government now claims that they are capable of carrying out operations to maintain national security after the submarines were being docked in deep water in Sabah for long and were initially found to be unable to sink.

Being second-hand machines the lifespan of these submarines could never be long and they are bound to incur more expenses in maintenance.

The dressing-down by a Royalty on the acquisition of Rapid Intervention Vehicles (RIVs) at exorbitant prices highlights the malady in the Ministry of Defence procurement exercises.

In September 2012, the Royalty reprimanded that “nobody should take advantage of the situation for personal gains when acquiring equipment for the Special Forces,” adding that recently four Rapid Intervention Vehicles (RIV) were purchased for RM2.76mil or RM690 000 each by the Ministry of Defence.

The Royalty then exhibited one of the RIV vehicles and another personal vehicle that he purchased for RM150 000.

Self-seeking leaders

The rakyat can obviously see the spending excessiveness by the country’s top leaders which at times border on elements of “corrupt” practices. Ironically, at a time when they tell the rakyat that they should adapt to harder economic times, self-seeking leaders are using huge amount of taxpayers’ money to live in style and spend unwisely to procure defence equipment at inflated prices.

A high cost of living has immensely affected the rakyat in the past four years. Nothing real or substantial has been done by the government to alleviate this problem other than coming up with some short-term measures to increase the salaries of some groups of workers.

Because of having incompetent leaders in the government they have no long-term ideas on how to reduce the inflationary trend that is going on uninhibited.

The country’s top leaders in calling for fiscal austerity are not leading by example by cutting on their own expenses and that of the government. Instead the government is forced to cut spending by slicing down on its subsidy bills. But, the spiralling global food prices are making life more difficult for the rakyat who are struggling to cope with low income amid inflationary enormity.

The cosy amount spent on top leaders’ expenses and the procurement of defence equipment alone make the government’s call for rakyat to adapt to harder times a farce.

Principles of good governance

Looking at all these “prodigious” figures involving taxpayer’s money the rakyat are not really happy with the present leadership.

It cannot be a matter of perception that UMNO and the government have a wastrel image since most of these figures were disclosed in Parliament and provided by the government of the day when requested and questioned by the lawmakers.

Relatively judicious spending has nonetheless been observed in the four states under Pakatan in spite of their freshness in governance. These states have indubitably shown exemplariness in their financial management.  This has been endorsed by the country’s Auditor General Reports for the past three years.

Perception or reality on UMNO’s extravagancy the rakyat can now make a wise choice in choosing a government in the 13^th general election – either to stay with Barisan or vote for Pakatan.

Whatever the choice, let it be a government that will remain guided by the principles of prudence, good governance, accountability, transparency and competency.

Read more here:

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=43708:ultra-extravagant-lifestyles-of-the-umno-elite-perception-or-real?&Itemid=2