Malaysian Constitution Getting Hijacked?

Subashini decision – constitution being rewritten
by Malay Law Student

Not only is the majority decision in R Subashini case wholly unacceptable to all right-thinking Malaysians – the decision has wider and more worrying long-term implications for the direction of the country.

In the writings of Montesquieu and AV Dicey, whose works underpin the concept of democracy, the judiciary is conceived of as the final bulwark of justice upon which the hapless citizen can depend when he or she is pitted against the seemingly endless resources of the state. Moreover, the judiciary is the arm of government charged with upholding the spirit and purpose of the constitution.

Our Federal Constitution clearly limits the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court to “persons professing the religion of Islam”. [Sch. 9, List 2 (1), Federal Constitution] By expanding the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court to non-Muslims, the decision of the majority of the Court of Appeal in the Subashini case turns the traditional view of the role of the judiciary on its head.

Here, we have a situation where the judiciary is performing the most fantastic of legal gymnastics in order to side with the state, going as far as to adopt a highly dubious interpretation of the very constitution it was meant to protect. So severe are the possible implications of this interpretation that it would be reasonable to view the decision in Subashini as an attempt to rewrite our constitution.

Irrespective of one’s preferences or personal beliefs, it is a fact that were it not for the constitution, most of our structures of governance including the judiciary and the syariah courts themselves would have nothing upon which to base their legitimacy and authority.

Thus, to establish a precedent where a fundamental provision of the constitution affecting a large proportion of the population is so glaringly contradicted in such a casual fashion could be the start of a very slippery slope – one with the potential to threaten the very foundations of our nation.

In view of this, judges and legislators must ask some harsh questions of themselves. Principally, they must decide whether they are prepared to forgo narrow, communal interests for the good of the nation.

A judge has a duty which is owed to all Malaysians and that duty is to fearlessly uphold the principles of the constitution, even if it conflicts with his or her personal or religious beliefs. Currently, Malaysia possesses far too few judges of this calibre.

Overall, we can draw two points from the majority decision in this case. First, it typifies why the Bar Council’s call for the establishment of a Judicial Appointments Committee must not go unheeded. Second, the disaster that is the 1988 amendment to Article 121(1) of the Federal Constitution must be rectified to enable our judiciary to regain its distant integrity.

Source: Malaysiakini

Air Asia Plane Crash

A concerned Malaysia Uncut reader, Kay, forwarded some pictures reputedly of an Air Asia plane crash. He/She said: It would be scary if news like this (provided it is true), is suppressed by the Malaysian Government…

Further details are unavailable. The source and authenticity of the pictures could not be verified. Could someone shed some light on this? Here are more pictures of the alleged crash:

You know it’s true

Rob Pilatus, left, and Fab Morvan show off Grammys.
 Milli Vanilli on film (read on to see videos)

A Las Vegas woman who forced the Milli Vanilli scandal to go public hopes a planned film “will be some kind of vindication.”

Jodie Rocco and her twin sister, Linda, were backup singers for the German-produced dance-pop duo that was stripped of a best new artist Grammy in February 1990 when the lip-synching scam was exposed.

Malaysia: A Haze of Secrecy

Report by ARTICLE 19 and the Center for Independent Journalism examining the level of access to environmental information in Malaysia.

 

Executive summary

 

The Malaysian public are being denied access to vital information about the environment. This is not only in breach of international standards, but also places both citizens and the environment at risk. Greater environmental openness would enable more effective participation in environmental stewardship and decision-making, promoting a truly public interest approach in terms of providing an appropriate balance between competing interests reducing corruption and breach of the rules, and leading to greater protection for the environment. It would also help individuals safeguard themselves against environmental hazards.

 

Malaysia is home to one of the world’s twelve areas of mega-biodiversity. Yet pollution and habitat loss – very often the consequence of big development projects – are taking their toll on local communities and are threatening the country’s abundant natural richness. The government’s approach has been characterised by undue secrecy and the withholding of information, seriously undermining the ability of citizens to participate in decision-making around issues which affect the environment.

Malaysian Army Set to Strike

Malaysia’s military is fighting a formidable foe – termites.

Many of Malaysia’s 80 army bases are believed to be plagued by the pests, forcing authorities to assign special officers to tackle the problem, newspapers reported Saturday.

Malaysia – an endemic surveillance country!

2006 International Privacy Survey

Privacy International (PI) is a human rights group formed in 1990 as a watchdog on surveillance and privacy invasions by governments and corporations. Recently, it issued the 2006 results of the ranking assessment of the state of privacy in the world. 

The aim of this survey was to find countries with nurtured privacy protection and respect for privacy. The survey does not want to humiliate the worst ranking countries but to show that good privacy environment is possible.

The best ranking countries are Germany and Canada with the healthiest privacy environment. The worst ranking countries of the survey are Malaysia and China. In EU, it is the United Kingdom.

Summary of key findings

Zulhaidi seeks to renounce Islam

Malaysian Chinese man seeks to renounce Islam
By SEAN YOONG

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – An ethnic Chinese Malaysian mistakenly given by doctors to a Malay Muslim couple at birth nearly three decades ago is bracing for a possible legal battle so he can renounce Islam, an action that can be considered a crime in parts of Malaysia.

Zulhaidi Omar, 29, who now goes by the name Eddie to his family and friends, said he discovered his true identity by chance and met his biological parents in 1998 after years of being teased about his Chinese features.

“I want to get my life back in order now,” Zulhaidi told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his southern home state of Johor.

Most Beautiful Object

CAPE TOWN, Feb 23 (Reuters Life!) – A South African device that claims to put a condom on a man with ease in less than three seconds has been named the “most beautiful object” at a design show in Cape Town.

Roelf Mulder’s plastic condom applicator won top prize at the Design Indaba Beautiful Objects exposition in the tourist resort city, beating out 14 other products, including an ultra-modern pre-fabricated house.