A ceremony was held on the same day the ashes arrived in Ipoh, Perak.
The communist leader was born in Sitiawan, Perak, in 1924. He led a bloody insurgency in Malaysia.
In 2013 there was a debate in the country regarding the return of the ashes of the political leader.
In that year, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh raised the Hatyai Peace Accord signed in 1990 between the governments of Malaysia, Thailand and the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) of Chin Peng.
The late Karpal said the agreement was to allow all MCP leaders to resettle in the country.
But if the government does not allow Malaysia to be Chin Peng’s final resting place, it would be tantamount to not honouring the agreement.
Since the disbanding of the CPM, he has lived in exile in Thailand. Efforts to allow him to return to Malaysia before his demise was denied.
One of the bones of contention on his return to Malaysia was that he was not able to provide a birth certificate.
Karpal, in reply to then Prime Minister Najib Razak’s statement that Chin Peng was not a citizen, said it could easily be proven that he had been born in Setiawan, Perak.
The Peace Agreement of Hat Yai (1989) marked the end of the Communist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–89).
It was signed and ratified by the Malayan Communist Party and the Malaysian and Thailand governments at the Lee Gardens Hotel in Hat Yai, Thailand, on December 2, 1989.
At his death, the New York Times wrote the following in an obituary:
“Chin Peng, a Communist guerrilla leader whose tenacious, bloody struggles for an independent Communist Malaysia pitted him against Japanese invaders, British colonialists and finally the government of what had become his own newly sovereign nation, died in exile on Monday in Bangkok. He was 88.”-/TISG
An advertisement produced by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and National Crime Prevention Council on how party-goers can club safely and smartly has drawn criticism on social media for being outright “cringey” and offering too much hand-holding to young people.
The video was released on the SPF’s Facebook page, to mark the launch of the Public Entertainment Industry Safety and Security Watch Group (PE iSSWG) – an initiative that it part of the Government’s Smart Clubbing Campaign (SCC), on 15 Nov.
Watch #smartclubber Julie Tan 陈欣淇 share her #safeclubbing experience! The Public Entertainment Industry Safety and Security Watch Group (PE iSSWG) was launched this evening as part of the Smart Clubbing Campaign (SCC). PE iSSWG promotes a safer and more secure clubbing environment for party-goers.
In the video, local actress Julie Tan – who is described as a “smart clubber” – teaches viewers how to have a safe clubbing experience. Julie advises viewers to deposit their belongings in club lockers, seek help from club staff if they feel harassed, intimidated or are intoxicated or unwell and remember that the CCTV cameras in clubs keep clubbers safe.
The video ends with a short introduction to PE iSSWG, which is a communications channel that provides information and best practices to make clubbing safer. The video is filled with short clips illustrating how the safe clubbing tips above work but the overall acting and script did not win praise from viewers.
Netizens, instead, felt that the video was embarrassing and pointed out the plot holes in the production. Others said that the video offers to much hand-holding to partygoers and said that the video does not reflect the reality of clubbing:
The second week of November 2019 will probably be remembered as a major milestone week in Malaysian history. A former head of the government is told in no uncertain terms that he has a case to answer by a High Court. It is not a committal to stand trial but one to answer serious charges. This was a leader who placed great store on the famous Blue Ocean strategy to uplift the country from its status as a middle income country.
The head of the legal team defending Dato’ Sri Najib Abdul Razak, Malaysia’s former prime minister, has stated that both he and his client were in shock that the High Court judge hearing Najib’s SRC case had ruled that Najib had to defend himself as there was a prima facie case to answer. Apparently Najib had expected to be acquitted without his defence being called according to his lead counsel.
It is a well known fact that Najib’s favourite number is 11. This number 11 has been his good luck charm through his fabled life as a young parliamentarian, deputy minister, a Menteri Besar, cabinet minister, deputy prime minister and prime minister. His predecessor favoured the number 13. Najib’s private vehicles and his house in Taman Duta all bear the number 11. Given his outward favourable disposition to this number he would have anticipated that November 11 (double eleven) would be particularly auspicious and he would walk out of court a free man in respect of the SRC case. The shock he has apparently felt is strong, somewhat surreal.
Beyond the shock, it is time to take stock of what has transpired both in Najib’s life and the pivotal significance of the prime minister’s office in the nation’s history. The High Court judge who heard the case was very professional, polite, extremely proper, some would say even somewhat protocol conscious in his approach to Najib’s tardiness and transgressions at court hearings.
Najib’s tactics to delay the trial and his other antics must have exasperated the prosecution but the Judge was more focused on the facts of the hearing proper than on an errant accused. Najib did not seem to not only not know court etiquette but seemed clueless on the seriousness of the charges he was facing. He seemed untutored in the travails of illegal and unethical conduct. It would seem his counsel had failed to advise him adequately.
His leading lawyer’s boastful bravado that Najib would be exonerated when the case comes to its conclusion after 2023 when it has gone through various higher court hearings suggests that there is going to be a long haul. But it also betrayed a blasé and besieged belief and assumption that his client’s prospects are suspect as the judge who is hearing this case may not be overruled. Who is his counsel to make such an audacious and contemptuous assertion at this early stage of the court process?
Is he trying to tell the public in an indirect way that his client’s chances are somewhat decided?
Najib’s cases and the hearings involved are an extremely grave matter for the nation.The judges hearing these matters are under greater-than- normal scrutiny and pressure to perform their duties in accordance with established procedures and the law in an impartial, unbiased and fair manner. In the dock is the country’s once most powerful public office holder who has had at his disposal the entire range of support from the best legal, financial, security and administrative expertise. Added to that he had been the principal advisor to the Paramount Ruler of the country ( His Majesty the Yang dipertuan Agong) on almost all pronouncements emanating from that highest office. A prime minister of Malaysia having these seemingly unfettered powers, influence, access and authority must as a God-fearing individual feel humbled by these accourements of power.
It would seem that not only Najib but the entire government and governance system of our sovereign, independent and democratic polity is currently on trial.
It is important to also recognise that anyone advising the prime minister must be truthful, knowledgeable and equipped with the courage and conscience to do her/his best given the almost untrammelled power, influence and authority that lies in that office.
A simple requirement that government regulations stipulate is that anyone handling official information must have security clearance. The police vetting process is robust and thorough and only they can be entrusted with this responsibility. It would be helpful to the police if they are informed beforehand of the responsibilities that the person who is being vetted is going to have. These procedures have been in place since the colonial days. These vetting procedures must be extended now to cover not only the country’s civil service but all GLCs and GLICs as they account for more than 50 percent of the equity in the country. We cannot afford another Jho Low. Let us also look at the credentials of these private legal practitioners who are involved in these high profile cases too.
With all these procedures, provisions and police protection and support to carry out his duties the prime minister is well equipped to carry out his duties in accordance with the law, the legislature’s stipulations and resources, both material and non material, available in the country.
The scope for trespass or more seriously treason by a prime minister is very limited as that office is well secured from any untoward or unseemly influence.
It would appear that in the instant cases involving Najib all these well thought out, tried and tested inbuilt safeguards to protect the prime minister from any kind of wrongdoing and misdemeanour were thrown out and Najib seems to have embarked on a dangerous road craftily and cunningly paved for personal gratification and political greatness. There is no humility in the man, it would appear.
Now, it is only fair that we get to hear Najib’s side of the real story, if there is one, not from Facebook or the front pages of our newspapers but from the Court Room.
Dato’ M Santhananaban
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore. /TISG
The Land Transport Authority, a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport, is set to conduct a one-year trial to lower speed limits to 30km/h at senior friendly Silver Zones. The trial will begin in April 2020 at the Silver Zones in Bukit Merah View and Jurong West Street 52, where the current speed limit is 40km/h.
The Silver Zone scheme was first announced at the Committee of Supply debate in 2014. As part of the scheme, the LTA identifies various areas around the island as Silver Zones and implements road safety measures that are aimed to help senior citizens travel more safely.
Silver Zones typically feature narrower roads and increased speed humps, as well as two-stage traffic crossings so elderly pedestrians can rest at the halfway point in the crossing. In March this year, the LTA said that statistics showed that accident rates involving elderly pedestrians at the 15 Silver Zones that were implemented at the time had gone down by almost 75 per cent.
The LTA, which plans to implement a total of 50 Silver Zones in residential estates by 2023, is now testing more traffic-calming measures in these areas.
Aside from unveiling plans to lower the speed limit in certain Silver Zones, the authority revealed last Thursday (21 Nov) that it will also be introducing features like raised junctions and road markings in Silver Zones from next month onwards:
“We’ll be conducting a one-year trial to lower speed limits from 40km/h to 30km/h in the Bukit Merah View and Jurong West Street 52 Silver Zones, starting in April 2020.
“Such traffic calming measures are aimed at slowing down motorists’ speeds to make our roads safer for pedestrians, especially for our seniors when they navigate in the Silver Zones.
“There will also be additional traffic calming features such as a raised junction and road markings at these locations from December. We’ll continue working with the community during the trial period to refine it along the way.”
We’ll be conducting a one-year trial to lower speed limits from 40km/h to 30km/h in the Bukit Merah View and Jurong West…
American pop star Miley Cyrus and Cody Simpson are still dating although there were claims that the couple has broken up.
Sun Online among other news sources reported that Miley Cyrus ended her relationship with Cody Simpson to focus on herself after divorcing from estranged husband Liam Hemsworth.
E! News reported later that the rumours were untrue.
According to an insider that is close to both of them, Miley and Cody spent time together last week when he visited her in Tennessee. The couple is fine and is still seeing each other.
After her vocal surgery, Miley has been resting, but she still kept in touch and saw Cody recently.
The insider also claimed that Miley is recovering in her Tennessee home after a vocal cord surgery for her tonsillitis, while Cody is working in Los Angeles.
Another insider said that Miley was out of town and that the couple missed each other.
They have reunited again recently and they are happy to be back together again.
It is reported that the two of them are very into each other.
Despite Miley’s busy schedule and work commitments that keep them apart, they are crazy about each other when they are together. Both of them follows each other on social media.
News of Miley and Cody dating started in October after Miley’s breakup from Liam Hemsworth and then Kaitlynn Carter.
They were photographed with PDA and even attending Miley’s brother Braison’s wedding.
Miley and Liam got married in December 2018 but the couple called it quits less than a year after tying the knot.
Rumours of the breakup started when 26-year-old Cyrus and 29-year-old Hemsworth began after the Mother’s Daughter singer uploaded a photo of herself on Instagram in which she is not wearing her wedding ring.
It was also said that the breakup happened because Miley did not want to live a life like a housewife.
Events, actions, inactions, missteps ranging from downright arrogance to utter stupidity by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government are threatening to destroy democracy in a nation that elected freedom over totalitarianism.
Last week, a seeming simple motion by the Melaka State Assembly to nominate State PKR chief Halim Bachik as a senator faced an embarrassing defeat with 12 votes in favour and 13 votes against.
Defeat and spectacular losses in by-elections and State Assemblies are now the norm for the PH government in just over 19 months after coming to power.
This embarrassing defeat comes hot on the heels of the Nov 16 loss of PH’s candidate in the Tanjung Piai by election by an MCA candidate, which is aligned, to the ousted BN/Umno alliance that ruled the nation for 61 years.
Analysts and political pundits have put the blame squarely on factional infighting in PKR. The Senatorial candidate, Malacca PKR chief Halim Bachik, was slotted to be the governing coalition’s nominee for the Upper House or Dewan Negara.
But, PKR, apparently had its knickers in twist when two of its state representatives, Ginie Lim and Muhammad Jailani Khamis had left the assembly hall just prior to the count.
Speculation is that Halim, who is aligned to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, while Lim and Jailani who are part of deputy president Azmin Ali, paid the price of being on the wrong side of the political divide within a divided PKR.
The action by Lim and Jailani allowed the motion to be rejected in a state where PH controls a slim majority. Harapan has 15 elected assembly persons in the 28-member assembly. However, G Saminathan of the DAP was absent as he is being detained over his alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Once the vote for Halim was rejected, the State Assembly went into chaos with the State opposition leader Idris Haron from Umno, proposing that the house nominates Melaka Umno chief Abdul Rauf Yusoh as senator. He then asked for the matter to be put to a vote immediately.
The ensuing argument then descended into a heated exchange between the Opposition and the ruling PH assemblypersons.
The matter was put to rest after consultations with the state legal adviser Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas who said any motion must be notified to the speaker beforehand.
But this entire episode may trigger a vote of no confidence against Malacca Chief Minister Adly Zahari after the state government failed to pass its own motion.
In reality, the state government faces being toppled if both Lim and Jailani fail to appear when it is time to vote again on the matter.
The fracture within PKR seems to be spreading with potentially damaging consequences to the entire PH governance, which has wafer-thin majorities in many State and Federal constituencies.
Democracy, while not perfect, seems to be crumbling at lightning speed in New Malaysia that only in May 2018, removed the shackles of a very restrictive and kleptocratic regime.-/TISG
Elsa Pataky, Liam Hemsworth’s sister-in-law seems happy that Miley Cyrus is no longer part of the family. She said that her husband Chris’ younger brother ‘deserves much better’ than his ex.
For Liam Hemsworth’s sister-in-law Elsa Pataky and his ex Miley Cyrus, there’s no love lost.
Elsa, 43 is happily married to Liam’s older brother Chris, 36 and she is revealing how the 29-year-old Hunger Games star is faring since the split. The Spanish beauty is also throwing shades at Miley, 26.
She was attending the launch of the Christmas campaign of lingerie brand Women’s Secret in Madrid, for which the mother of three is a brand ambassador when she made the comments.
Elsa revealed that her brother-in-law is a bit down but coping well. She said that he is a strong boy that deserves the best and she thinks he deserves much better.
Photo: Screengrab from Instagram
In 2009, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth fell in love while filming The Last Song. They got engaged in June 2012 but broke up the following summer.
After that Miley went on a wild child phase with her album Bangez and had an infamously raunchy MTV performance with Robin Thicke. In late 2015, she and Liam got back together.
The duo lived happily together in Malibu but in November 2018, tragically lost their home in the Woolsey brushfire. A month after that the couple decided to make the ultimate commitment, getting married before Christmas at her Nashville home.
Things fell part by summer when Miley was photographed making out with Brody Jenner’s ex Kaitlynn Carter, 30 in Italy while Liam was in Australia.
The next day on August 10, Miley’s camp announced that the couple had separated and Liam quickly filed for divorce on August 21.
Liam Hemsworth found comfort moving in with Chris and Elsa in their Byron Bay, Australia home following the breakup. Elsa said that he can always find support in his family and that he is joined at the hip with Chris who has been there to give him the strength he needed.
The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board has responded to a story circulating online about a 56-year-old Singaporean’s pursuit to withdraw his CPF savings. The Singaporean, Mr Sim Kay Chuan, has been suffering from health problems since 2014 and underwent heart surgery two years ago.
Even after surgery, Mr Sim’s heart’s left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was performing at a capacity of 37 per cent – significantly lower than the normal LVEF range of 55 to 70 per cent. This left Mr Sim weak and he is reportedly susceptible to fainting spells even when walking, especially since he is supposed to take medication that lowers his blood pressure.
According to The Online Citizen (TOC) – a local web publication that interviewed Mr Sim – the attending doctor who saw him after his surgery reportedly advised him not to carry any weight that is heavier than 5kg and said that Mr Sim may not able to work for a long time.
Mr Sim told TOC that he is unable to find work due to his poor health. The job applications Mr Sim sent out since his surgery were rejected due to his medical condition and he is also unable to work gig jobs like driving a private hire car due to his fainting spells.
Mr Sim’s wife, a welfare coordinator who brings home a salary of S$1,800, is the family’s sole breadwinner. Mrs Sim toils hard to provide for her family, waking up as early as 5am and spending nine hours at work and an additional three hours travelling to and from work each day. She also showed TOC stacks of pawn tickets and said that she had to pawn her jewellery over the past two years to pay for medical bills and other expenses.
The couple have a daughter but Mr and Mrs Sim told TOC that she has her own expenses and family to look after.
Worried about his family’s financial state, Mr Sim even considered divorce to free his wife from the financial burden she is shouldering but Mrs Sim refused and said that they both should cherish and care for one another.
Having exhausted his savings with medical treatments and medication to lower his blood cholesterol, Mr Sim visited his MP, West Coast GRC’s Patrick Tay, who referred his case to the Social Service Office (SSO).
The SSO sent Mr Sim a letter in May and said that his application for financial assistance was rejected on the basis that his wife was still earning a stable income. It wrote: “after careful consideration, we assessed that your family is able to support its basic living expenses.”
Photo: TOC
A desperate Mr Sim applied to withdraw his CPF savings to ease his family’s expenses. He wished to withdraw a sum of about S$18,000 that is locked in his retirement account. This sum will be disbursed to him in nine years time, when he turns 65 years old, in monthly payouts that Mr Sim has estimated will amount to S$250 each month.
The CPF Board reportedly rejected his application to withdraw his savings. In a letter sent in August 2019, the CPF Board informed Mr Sim that his doctor at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) has certified that he is “not physically incapacitated from ever continuing in any employment.”
Sharing that the rejection of his application has made him feel helpless, Mr Sim asked why he cannot use his own savings when he needs it. Asserting that he does not expect the Government to give him a hand-out and that he only wants to use the savings he accumulated throughout his working life, he told TOC:
“I didn’t ask for government welfare. I just want to take out my own money and save myself. I feel so helpless. What happened to the Singapore government?”
Mr Sim added: “I regret going for the surgery. Ended up spending so much money and now becoming a burden for my wife. A couple of my friends who are in similar situation as me, share my thoughts.”
The CPF Board responded to TOC’s story last Saturday (22 Nov) and said that three doctors had certified that Mr Sim is suitable for jobs that do not require physical exertion. The authority said in a Facebook post:
“Mr Sim has applied to withdraw his CPF under medical grounds. His own doctor made 2 separate assessments, and certified that he is not unfit for employment and is suited for jobs that do not require physical exertion.
“In addition, CPFB engaged two other doctors to assess his condition. Both shared the same assessment as Mr Sim’s own doctor that his medical condition did not meet the criteria for withdrawal on medical grounds.”
Revealing that the NHCS will “reach out to Mr Sim regarding his outstanding bills, and application for financial assistance if needed,” the CPF Board said that local community partners are assisting Mr Sim and that it would work with relevant agencies to assist him, as well. -/TISG
Singapore—Monica Baey, the young woman who brought sexual misconduct into national discussion earlier this year, continues to be an advocate for other women who have had similar experiences.
At an event organised by the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) on Monday night, November 25, Ms Baey said that more than six months after she was thrust into the national limelight after posting on social media about the NUS student who had filmed her in the shower, victims of sexual misconduct are still coming up to her to this day.
TODAY quotes Ms Baey as calling the casual attitude towards voyeurism as a “national emergency that was swept under the rug” for too long.
She told the audience of around 150 that had gathered that she wants to disprove the belief that that sexual violence related to technology is not as serious as other cases of sexual assault or violence. It is this thinking, she said, that prevents victims of crimes committed using cellphones or other such digital devices from coming forward.
“A lot of people feel technology-facilitated sexual violence is not the same as sexual assault, which is quite shocking to me,” Channel NewsAsia (CNA) quotes her as saying.
“I’ve come to realise it is so similar. Even though you haven’t been physically violated, it’s the same.
I feel like I’m just a normal person, just a survivor … but I think I was at the right place at the right time when my story blew up.
I hope people continue to strive to be someone who makes a small change to enable the rest of society to do so.”
On Monday night, Ms Baey related not just her experience but those of others, gathered from the more than 1,000 messages that she had received from strangers and friends since she went public with her experience.
Since she took to Instagram in early April to post about her disappointment when the student who filmed her in the shower, Nicholas Lim, was only given a conditional warning from the police and a one-semester suspension from NUS, she has received over 1,000 messages from strangers and friends, many of whom reached out to share their own experiences.
Her actions, and the furore that followed it brought about a recognition of authorities’ inadequacies in handling such matters, as well as policy changes in how universities handle cases of sexual misconduct.
Now an advocate for victims, Ms Baey has undergone training with AWARE on how to be afirst-responder for victims of sexual assault, TODAY reports.
AWARE shared some statistics concerning sexual violence related to the use of technology at the event on Monday, which happened to be the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, saying that the number has more than doubled in the last three years.
In 2016, there were only 46 acts of sexual misconduct aided by technology reported to AWARE. By 2018, the number had increased to 124. Over half of these cases revolved around pictures or videos, such as up skirting or circulating images of naked women.
“These behaviours range from unwanted and explicit sexual messages and calls (including attempts to coerce sex or a relationship) to a specific category of image-based sexual abuse,” AWARE said.
According to AWARE head Anisha Joseph, “New factors – such as the widespread availability of recording technology, and our 24/7 channels of communication – make these actions all the more pervasive and damaging today.” -/TISG
The party of Anwar Ibrahim is facing further turmoil after the sacking of two members, which is now being contested by several voices from the PKR, including that of influential Minister of Housing and Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin and party vice-president Tian Chua.
Zuraida is also a PKR vice-president and she lambasted a decision by party member Zakaria Abd Hamid over suspicion of corruption and bribery.
The party says it made the decision to sack Zakaria after it was advised by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission via a letter dated Oct 23, which the anti-graft agency is now saying it wrongly sent to the party.
Zakaria is a former political secretary of Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian.
The party’s disciplinary board chairperson Ahmad Kassim said the board made the decision after being advised by the MACC via a letter dated Oct 23, 2019.
Zuraida questioned if is true there was a recommendation from the MACC, calling for the party to dismiss other members who are ‘clearly in violation of the country’s laws.”
She did not say which laws the party is violating though but denounced her party’s sacking of some members as ‘selective’.
Tian Chua joined the chorus criticising the party’s disciplinary board for sacking Zakaria Abdul Hamid, and another party member.
“It is clear that due process has not been followed. As a party founded upon the movement for reform and justice, it is rather unfortunate that such heavy-handed action has been employed,” he said in a statement.
“We were told that the disciplinary board ‘just’ received a note from the MACC. If so, why couldn’t the disciplinary board allow a proper duration for thorough discussion and investigation?”
The Star daily recently said that the PKR cold war between Anwar and Azmin is heating up, adding that Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali is leading a team from the party and the team is planning a boycott of the party’s national convention in Melaka from Dec 5 to 7.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, who is said to be in Anwar Ibrahim’s camp in the party said the press statement by MACC deputy chief commissioner Azam Baki apologising for sending the letter to the party, however, confirmed there was indeed a letter sent by the anti-graft body to the PKR disciplinary committee.
“The mistake on MACC’s part did not change the facts of the case. Firstly, there was a report lodged, and secondly, MACC had carried out an investigation and in its letter MACC gave detailed information on their probe.
“MACC said they have met with those who complained, and also witnesses, and that in their view the persons (subject in the probe) had committed an offence.”
MACC deputy chief commissioner Azam Baki said the letter was meant for the relevant government agency and ministry, and not the PKR leadership.
“MACC admits there was a mistake by the MACC reporting branch head through a letter to the party which suggested disciplinary action (against the two members) for the violation of the party’s code of ethics.
“According to ethical guidelines (which the MACC must adhere to), a report on any wrongdoing must only be sent to federal or state ministries and agencies. It (the MACC) is not bound to any political party.
“It is not the policy of the MACC to make such report for any political party concerning wrongdoing by its members,” Azam said to Malaysiakini.
