Malaysians must know BM - home minister on Immigration Dept incident

 

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has defended the Immigration Department over an alleged incident where an officer in Johor scolded a woman and her daughter for not being able to speak Bahasa Malaysia and responding to his questions in English instead.

This comes after the woman highlighted the matter on social media. Although the posting is no longer available, it was reported that the woman had explained that their poor command of Bahasa Malaysia was due to them residing in Singapore for a long time.

However, Saifuddin contended that the authorities have a reason to be suspicious when a Malaysian is unable to converse in the national language.

“I hope parents can understand that every citizen must learn and have a good command of the national language.

“Do not make an issue out of this to such an extent, where a government agency is accused of complicating the process of renewing a passport just because of certain conditions,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya.

“Don't look at this from one perspective, but also look at it as (your) duty to have command of the language while you live in this country.

“If you can't (understand the national language), it can lead to suspicion, for example - are you really a citizen since you can't even speak the language?” he added.

Saifuddin said Bahasa Malaysia's position as the national language has been cemented in the Federal Constitution, which underscores its importance.

"...We cannot compromise on this. If Bahasa Malaysia is the main language, then we must learn Bahasa Malaysia. (At least) learn to pass.

“But are we prohibited from learning other languages? Certainly not. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to learn it, and we cannot compromise on this,” he added.

Saifuddin also revealed that the authorities have managed to thwart several fraud cases involving travel documents based on similar red flags.

In some cases, he said, officers had caught parents who registered other people's children as their own. - Mkini

Hold the line on moderation, Mat Hasan tells Umno after trouncing

Umno must remain steadfast on the lane of moderation as this is a “crucial bulwark” for multiracial and multireligious Malaysia, said deputy president Mohamad Hasan.

The Umno number two’s reminder comes in the wake of the party’s decimation of the Kemaman by-election in the PAS stronghold of Terengganu on Dec 2.

Mohamad, who is popularly known as Mat Hasan or Tok Mat, also acknowledged that it is difficult for Umno to counter Perikatan Nasional’s race and religion-based narrative.

“It is not easy to present the path of moderate politics. Extremist right-wing ideologies, race and religious rhetoric are easy to exploit to garner popularity,” he said.

Mohamad also called for immediate action to be taken to win over the hearts and minds of the Malay youth.

He said the by-election showed that Umno is still unable to “resonate” with this demographic, whose rejection of the party is becoming “consistent”.

“There is still potential to win over the support of the younger generation. The approach must be in line with their aspirations and needs,” he added in a statement.

Mohamad conceded that Umno, which once served as the lynchpin of the impregnable fortress BN, has a long road ahead in terms of winning the support of the Malay electorate again.

“We featured a national warrior with an excellent service record but were still defeated,” he said, referring to the party’s candidate Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor.

Although difficult, an optimistic Mohamad believes that reclaiming the trust of the Malays is not impossible.

What happens in Kemaman, stays in Kemaman

Mohamad, who is also the defence minister, said the election result revealed that Umno must remain resilient to continue its fight in the Malay political arena.

“The Kemanan polls is an indication that reclaiming the trust of the Malays will be a long road, (a struggle which is) not linear and time-consuming,” he noted.

According to him, this mission would require “spirit, strategy, leadership and patience”.

Last but not least, Mohamad suggested that “what happens in Kemaman, stays in Kemaman”, and is not reflective of the aspirations of Malaysians in other parts of the nation.

“It (PN) only defeated Umno but did not kill Umno. This is a democratic contest, which has winners and losers.

“Umno only lost. It has experienced numerous defeats (in the past). At another time, there will surely be a victory for Umno,” he added in response to PN politicians who argue that the polls showed that the momentum is with the opposition.

In the by-election, Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar retained the seat for PAS with a landslide win of more than 37,000 votes. - Mkini

Launch sedition probe on Sanusi's 'pot-bellied deity' jibe, MP tells cops

 

The Kampar MP Chong Zhemin has urged the police to investigate Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Noor under the Sedition Act 1948.

This is for Sanusi reportedly referring to Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing as a “bald, pot-bellied tokong” during a state legislative assembly sitting on Nov 29.

“Sanusi’s statement is derogatory and insulting to the Buddhist faith, and could cause anguish and animosity between the races and religious groups in Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.

A police report was lodged in Ipoh this morning regarding the matter.

While speeches made as part of parliamentary and state legislature proceedings are protected speech that cannot be questioned in court, this is not the case for offences under the Sedition Act due to exceptions allowed under Articles 63(4) and 72(4) of the Federal Constitution.

Jelutong MP RSN Rayer and former Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar had been investigated under the Sedition Act for their parliamentary speeches before, Chong noted.

“I urge the police to investigate Sanusi’s statement under the Sedition Act and take appropriate action (against him),” he said.