Archive - 7 September 2002

A Keadilan youth leader lodged a police report against a former member Nordin Ahmad who claimed that there were attempts within the party to instigate the armed forces to join the reformasi movement to topple the government.

Parliament convenes next week, and the hot topic will undoubtedly be related to the electoral practices in the country. The just-concluded by-elections in Pendang and Anak Bukit have generated enough controversy to keep the debate going for weeks, given the unhappiness among political parties. Several MPs also hint on the issues they will raise.

Several cattle-breeders involved in a bitter dispute with a developer were arrested by the police for alleged 'trespassing' when they were defending their livestock's breeding ground. However, a social activist said the arrest was unlawful, claiming that the police had allegedly sided with the developer.

The five reformasi activists still detained at the Kamunting detention centre in Taiping have demanded that they be set free following the Federal Court's ruling yesterday that their arrest and initial detention were unlawful and that the police had acted in bad faith. Leaders of opposition parties are backing their demand.

If you think the environment is too big for you to look after, think again. Introducing Local Agenda 21, a 'think global, act local' programme in which you get to decide on the quality of life you want. This is the last article of the series on sustainable development published in conjunction with the Johannesburg Summit 2002 from Aug 26 to Sept 4.

In her new book, Alijah Gordon maintains a sense of critical distance as she pieces together the broken puzzle that was Egypt during the 1950s. Her text reads not only as a portrait of the times but also a diagnosis of the ills of a society on the verge of collapse. FARISH A NOOR feels tempted to recommend the book to Muslim political leaders so that "they can go back to the people and feel the pulse which they have lost".

It is not only Afghanistan which had seen profound changes since the Sept 11 attacks. Other countries in its vicinity had also witnessed radical change and new policies. Much of these would have been unthinkable a year ago.

As the Malaysian armed forces embark on a modernisation programme which also involves the purchase of US fighter jets, Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak explains that Malaysia is upgrading its defense systems to protect the country from internal and external threats, and is not in an arms race to launch attacks on other countries.

In conjunction with Human Rights Day on Sept 9, Suhakam will be organising a series of talks on human rights and its link to education during a two-day conference in Kuala Lumpur. Among the speakers will be university professors, trade unionists, and members of the public.

Calling on all Filipinos to unite to help thousands of their countrymen being deported from Malaysia, President Gloria Arroyo also assured that she would seek justice for the alleged abuse of Filipinos. But she also praised Dr Mahathir for his swift action in looking into her complaints.