Charge Riduan, say syariah lawyers

The Star
(shared bylines)

PETALING JAYA: Syariah lawyers want the Islamic affairs authorities to act against the 40-year-old man who married a 13-year-old girl he had allegedly raped.

“We urge the syariah authorities to do the necessary to charge the wrongdoer as a lesson that marriage is not a way out for adultery or rape,” said Syariah Lawyers Association secretary-general Moeis Basri.

He said under syariah laws, sexual intercourse outside marriage is considered an act of adultery even if the girl consented to it.

Moeis said the man also needed to get the consent of the girl's legal guardian as well as permission from the Syariah Court before marrying the child as she is below 16 years old.

Moeis hoped the Attorney-General's Chambers would proceed with action against the man, adding that the civil court had better jurisdiction and severe punishment for rape cases.

Riduan Masmud, from Kota Kinabalu, is facing a charge of raping the teenager in a parked car in Inanam on Feb 18.

Sessions Court judge Ummu Khatom Abdul Samad had set July 1 to July 4 to hear the case.

Under the Sabah Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1995, a person convicted of committing forbidden sexual intercourse, could be fined a maximum of RM5,000, or jailed up to three years or caned a maximum of six strokes, or a combination thereof.

In Malaysia, the legal age for most people to marry is 18. But non-Muslims between 16 and 18 can marry with the consent of the chief minister or mentri besar of their state.

For Muslim boys under 18 and girls under 16, permission must be sought from the Syariah Court.

Meanwhile, Primary Care Doctors Organisation deputy president Dr M. Mahendran said children's reproductive organs were not mature enough and early coitus could damage the vagina or cause pelvic inflammatory diseases which could lead to infertility.

Lawyer Yasmeen Muhammad Shariff, who sits on the United Nations' Committee of the Rights of the Child, said the man should be charged for statutory rape regardless of whether he had married her.

“The law should be respected. It cannot be based on mutual liking as the girl is young and gullible,” she said.

Several women's groups in Sabah and across the nation had expressed outrage over the man, who already has four children, marrying the teenager purportedly to escape criminal prosecution for statutory rape.

Related Stories:
State minister wants teen's marriage to 40-year-old nullified

Group wants EC under Parliament purview By LOH FOON FONG

The Star
foonfong@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: A group of 40 intellectuals and non-governmental organisation representatives want the Election Commission (EC) to be placed under Parliament's jurisdiction.

Former Temerloh MP Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said it was important that the EC reported to Parliament.

“The commission could have an MP to speak on its behalf in Parliament,” said Saifuddin, who moderated a discussion yesterday on inclusiveness in the context of national reconciliation after GE13 organised by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Institute of Ethnic Studies.

Saifuddin also said this was possible because Parliament had its own administration, which would enable it to pay salaries of those in the EC.

The institute's research fellow, Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, said the EC and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission should function independently and not be put together with other government agencies in Putrajaya.

“They should be closer to Parliament instead of Putrajaya,” he said.

He also said Opposition leaders should be recognised as in Britain, where they are invited to most official functions.

“Every MP must be seen as elected by the people,” he said.

Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan said a shadow Cabinet should be formed and funded by the state as it was rightly the responsibility of the Government.

“Otherwise, it is difficult for the shadow Cabinet to function well,” he said.

The discussion group also said more select committees should be set up in Parliament for more check and balance.

There was also a call for the Government to ensure independence of government agencies in providing basic infrastructure to everyone regardless of political allegiance, religion and race.

Community service consultant Jasmine Adaickalam said this was important for inclusive social development.

The group also called for independence of the media.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya political economist Prof Dr Terrence Gomezsaid it was unlikely for political parties to make many changes.

“There is a need for a third force institutionalised civil society to put pressure on the political system,” he said.

The proposals would be further discussed with the National Unity and Integration Department on May 28.

GE13: Pakatan Rakyat has run Selangor capably, says Khalid in campaign speech

The Star

Published: Saturday May 4, 2013 MYT 1:20:00 PM
Updated: Saturday May 4, 2013 MYT 1:48:19 PM

By LOH FOON FONG

Caretaker Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

SABAK BERNAM: Caretaker Mentri BesarTan Sri Khalid Ibrahim made a surprise visit to the furthest end of Selangor on the last leg of campaigning.

He told village folks that the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat-led state government has done well instead of gone bankrupt.

He said that since Pakatan Rakyat took over the state government in Selangor in 2008, it had invested well and Selangor was rated first among other states in having the most investments.

"We have generated more than RM50bil in investments and we have not gone bankrupt," he said on Friday late night in Bagan Terap.

Khalid said he needed to tell the people that the Opposition did not go bankrupt when they were given the chance to run the state for five years and would not go bankrupt if they take over the Putrajaya federal administration as claimed by the Barisan Nasional.

He also said that the Selangor state government had spent RM700mil on the people on the water given to those living in the state.

Khalid said on top of that, the state government also made savings of RM260mil.

At a ceramah earlier, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Taibdeclared to the people that he had actually joined PAS since some were still not sure whether he actually did.

At the ceramah attended by between 1,500 to 1,800 people, Pakatan members were seen approaching Muhammad Taib with their party flags for his autograph or take his picture.

GE13: MCA to help Loong Aik cooperative get back land from firm, says Dr Chua

The Star

Published: Thursday May 2, 2013 MYT 8:34:00 PM

By LOH FOON FONG

SEKINCHAN: MCA will try to get back a 0.4ha piece of land which was occupied by the Loong Aik Bhd cooperative for 60 years and now leased to a private company, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Dr Chua said Loong Aik chairman Lee Aik had approached the party for help now that the land was given to the company for temporary occupation by the Selangor state government.

"We will assist in getting the land back for the cooperatives if Barisan Nasional wins Selangor," he said during a visit here to lend support to MCA's state candidate Kek Seng Hooi.

Loong Aik treasurer Ng Ah Tee said the land had been occupied by the grandparents of the members when they set up the cooperatives in 1949.

"At that time the land did not belong to anyone. Since we and our grandparents have used the land for more than 60 years, we should be given priority (to use the land)," Ng said.

He said they had applied to the state government for a land grant since 1991. The then Barisan government did not approve the grant but did not stop them from using the land.

Ng said when Pakatan Rakyat took over the state, they applied for a grant but was refused and the land was leased out to a private company.

For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site

GE13: Arson bid causes small fire at Barisan operations centre

Searching for clues: Policemen investigating the arson case at the Barisan operations centre in Parit 9.

SEKINCHAN: A bottle of gasoline was hurled at a Barisan Nasional operations centre in Parit 9, Sungai Leman here, causing a small fire.

Sungai Besar OCPD Supt Noor Mushar Mohd said police found the bottle at the centre when they went to check the premises following a report lodged at 4.50am here yesterday.

“There was an attempt to burn the place. There were scorch marks along the outer wall,” he said yesterday.

A party flag and an Election Commission (EC) banner telling voters that the voting centre had been moved to SR Agama Parit 9 were also burnt, he added.

Supt Noor Mushar said police were investigating the case, adding that so far, there was no suspect.

“We will make sure that the culprit is caught. We urge all parties not to resort to such stupid tactics,” he said, adding that the fire was not serious.

Kampung Parit 9 federal village committee chairman Zulkafli Hassan, who lodged the police report, said he received a call at about 4am that the centre was on fire.

“Fortunately, some of the villagers were able to douse the fire,” he said.

Ismail Sutan, who owns the land on which the community hall housing the centre was built, said no such incident had ever happened before.

EC enforcement officer Mohamad Marwan Ahmad Tajun said he would hand over a report to the commission's headquarters in Putrajaya.

“This is a police case and we will leave it to them to investigate,” he said.

For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site

GE13: Pakatan has put up trustworthy candidates, says Anwar

Warm welcome: Anwar being greeted by his supporters upon arriving in Sungai Besar.

SABAK BERNAM: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says Pakatan Rakyat has put up trustworthy candidates to contest in the general election.

He said PKR, PAS and DAP had done a good job in their selection.

“We are talking about akhlak (moral values),” he said at a ceramah here yesterday.

Anwar hit out at the Barisan Nasional for fielding Perkasa vice-president Datuk Zulkifli Nordin for the Shah Alam parliamentary seat, saying that this proved that the ruling coalition was devoid of “good candidates.”

“This is the kind of candidate they have. I told Khalid Samad (the PAS candidate in Shah Alam) that he is lucky,” said Anwar, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Anwar also hit out at Barisan for not contesting the Pasir Mas parliamentary seat in Kelantan, claiming that former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had asked incumbent MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali to recontest there.

The Barisan's Che Johan Che Pa did not submit his nomination papers for the seat, saying he did so because he looked up to Ibrahim.

He also reiterated that Pakatan would reduce oil prices on May 7 if it took over Putrajaya.

Those at the ceramah were asked to donate RM20 each to Pakatan for the hi-tea served.

However, only slightly more than half the tables were filled.

Anwar also attended other events at Sungai Besar, Kuala Selangor, Tanjung Karang and Batang Berjuntai.

For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site

GE13: Group of DAP supporters in Sekinchan switches camps

The Star

By BK SIDHU and LOH FOON FONG

SEKINCHAN: Some 200 people here claiming to be DAP supporters have shifted allegiance to Barisan Nasional.

The group brought down DAP banners at the Sungai Leman operations centre here around 2am Monday and replaced them with Barisan banners.

One supporter, Asri Zainian, 64, claimed the Opposition party had not kept its promises.

He said he was originally a PAS member and had supported DAP for five years.

Asked if he had withdrawn his PAS membership, he said he would submit the documents soon.

The operation centre was set up two weeks ago by DAP supporters. Sited 10m from the gate of the polling station in SK Sungai Leman, is a strategic location for drawing votes.

Sungai Besar Umno committee member Jamil Ramli said the group comprised Malays aged 21 to 50, who were either PAS or PKR members.

Another supporter who defected, Zulkifli Idris, claimed the Opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition's promise of street lights and other amenities had not been delivered.

"Our village is still in darkness."

The population of Sungai Leman is 3,500, with 2,500 of the residents being voters.

The 13th general election, in which 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats are being contested, will be held on May 5.

Meanwhile, Sekinchan incumbent Ng Suee Lim said not more than 10 people claiming to be DAP supporters had contacted the party a few days ago and volunteered their assistance for the elections.

He said he had not expected them to defect to Barisan Nasional.

He added that the group had contacted one of the two DAP Malay exco members to pledge support and its number was not 200 as claimed by Jamil.

"I only knew them for these few days when one of them volunteered his house to be used as a DAP operatiosn centre in Sungai Leman," he said Monday.

He said it did not occur to him to check their background and motive before accepting their offer to assist the DAP but would be more careful from now.